On March 18, US Secretary of State Antony Blinken arrived in Manila and will hold a trilateral meeting with his counterparts from the Philippines and Japan.
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| US Secretary of State Antony Blinken arrived in the Philippines on March 18. (Source: AFP) |
Fox News quoted a senior State Department official as saying that the focus of the trip was to maintain peace, stability, and respect for international law.
According to US media, Blinken will meet with Philippine Foreign Minister Enrique Manalo and President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. on March 19.
On March 20, Japanese Foreign Minister Kamikawa Yoko will also arrive in Manila and hold talks with her counterparts from the United States and the Philippines to discuss measures to strengthen defense and economic cooperation.
The meeting of the foreign ministers was to prepare for the trilateral summit, which is scheduled to take place on April 11 in Washington DC, between US President Joe Biden, Japanese Prime Minister Kishida Fumio, and Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.
The trilateral summit is expected to take place immediately after Prime Minister Kishida's state visit to the United States.
Recently, the United States and Japan have strengthened their cooperation with the Philippines in trade, investment, and defense.
Manila is currently negotiating with Tokyo on a Mutual Access Agreement, similar to the status Japan has with the United States and Australia. A senior Philippine official affirmed that Japan is a major defense and security partner for the country.
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