WASHINGTON (Reuters) – U.S. President Joe Biden met online on Sunday with his counterparts from Japan and the Philippines to enhance cooperation between the three countries, the White House said.
She added in a statement that the three leaders discussed trilateral maritime security, economic cooperation, and “China’s dangerous and illegal behavior in the South China Sea.”
He added, “The three leaders agreed on the importance of continuing coordination to strengthen a free and open Indo-Pacific region.”
Biden spoke with Japanese Prime Minister Ishiba Shigeru and Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. late Sunday, a week before Biden leaves office and hands over power to President-elect Donald Trump on January 20.
Manila said the three countries, which met at a trilateral summit in Washington in April, agreed to further strengthen their relations in the face of rising tensions in territorial waters.
The South China Sea, a corridor for more than $3 trillion in annual ship-borne trade, has been plagued by rising tensions for years. China claims almost the entire South China Sea despite a 2016 ruling by the Permanent Court of Arbitration that found Beijing's sweeping claims had no legal basis.
The United States increased its security engagements with the Philippines under Marcos, securing broader access to Philippine bases.
The White House statement did not mention any discussion of Nippon Steel's planned acquisition of US Steel, which Biden blocked on January 3 due to national security concerns.
The Japanese Foreign Ministry said that Ishiba asked Biden to allay the concerns of the Japanese and American business community over the decision, noting that cooperation between allies and like-minded countries is indispensable for creating resilient supply chains.
The White House had no immediate comment on the aforementioned discussion.
