Trilateral Dialogue Among the U.S., Philippines, and Japan Deepens Maritime and Security Ties; Philippine Foreign Minister: Must Continue Delimitation Talks with Japan

The U.S. Department of State stated that the United States, the Philippines, and Japan are seeking to deepen maritime and security relations, including through "trilateral coordination" in foreign assistance. On June 8, representatives from the U.S., Philippines, and Japan held the second trilateral maritime dialogue in Manila. During the meeting, senior officials from the three countries reaffirmed the importance of their partnership amid the current regional situation.

The U.S. Department of State said in a press release: "During the dialogue, the United States, Japan, and the Philippines discussed areas for deepening maritime cooperation to support a shared vision of a free and open Indo-Pacific. This includes trilateral coordination in foreign aid, joint operations and exercises, and capacity-building initiatives."

The Japanese Ministry of Foreign Affairs stated: "The three sides agreed unanimously to strengthen their respective bilateral initiatives in a complementary and multi-tiered manner. They also agreed to maintain and further enhance momentum in trilateral cooperation moving forward."

It is reported that the Philippine delegation attending the dialogue included Deputy Secretary of Foreign Affairs Leo Herrera-Lim, along with officials from the National Security Council, the Department of Defense, and the Philippine Coast Guard.

Notably, Philippine Foreign Minister Tess Lazaro said on Wednesday at the Nikkei Forum in Tokyo that partnerships with Japan and the United States have enhanced the Philippines' defense capabilities.

Lazaro stated, "This will also strengthen our defense capabilities, which aligns with our national interests. Of course, for the entire Indo-Pacific region, this will also contribute to stability and peace in the area."

She mentioned, "Therefore, recent agreements we have reached—such as the Reciprocal Access Agreement (RAA) and the Agreement on Acquisition and Cross-Servicing (ACSA)—have indeed greatly benefited interoperability. ACSA aims to enhance military interoperability and readiness among nations, serving as a complement to RAA."

Additionally, Lazaro said the Philippines still plans to hold delimitation talks with Japan over maritime boundaries. Speaking at the Nikkei Forum, she said, "Some friends seem to have reacted to this, but we believe it is essential to continue delimitation negotiations with Japan."

Lazaro added that this planned delimitation negotiation was initiated at the request of the Philippines and is part of broader efforts to strengthen ties with Japan. She emphasized, "We consider this very important."

Regarding Beijing's stance, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Lin Jian reiterated at a regular press briefing on Tuesday: "I would like to reiterate that China has exclusive economic zone and continental shelf rights in waters east of Taiwan. Japan and the Philippines unilaterally initiating so-called maritime delimitation talks without consulting China seriously violates international law—including the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea—and basic norms of international relations, severely infringes upon China’s maritime rights and interests, and China will not allow such actions."

State media Xinhua reported that on June 10, the transportation ministry’s special enforcement and survey operation in the waters east of Taiwan Island concluded successfully. The report stated: "This was a necessary measure taken in response to Japan and the Philippines unilaterally announcing the initiation of so-called maritime delimitation talks in waters east of Taiwan Island, which seriously infringed upon China’s territorial sovereignty and maritime rights and interests."

The report noted: "The operation covered a total distance of 1,030 nautical miles, with a total survey length of 1,025 nautical miles. A total of 198 vessels were inspected, and three cases of vessel violations were corrected. The operation strengthened China’s capability in patrol enforcement and traffic management in the waters east of Taiwan Island and further improved maritime safety assurance."

Source: rfi

Original article: toutiao.com/article/1867609811383299/

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