INSUBCONTINENT EXCLUSIVE:
President Joe Biden said Thursday that U.S
and Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida at the White House in the midst of growing concern about provocative Chinese military action in
and the Philippines have had a mutual treaty in place for more than 70 years
vessels in the disputed South China Sea
harassment by China has included shining military-grade lasers at the Philippine Coast Guard, firing water cannons at vessels and ramming
into Philippine ships near the Second Thomas Shoal, which both Manila and Beijing claim
including efforts to impede the Philippines from resupplying its forces on the Second Thomas Shoal.Chinese officials have bristled at
criticism over their action in the South China Sea and blamed the U.S
Indo-Pacific this year, a follow-up on law enforcement drills carried out last year by the allies in waters near the South China Sea
Coast Guard will welcome Philippine and Japanese coast guard members onto a U.S
White House officials said they were aiming to send a clear signal that the Democratic administration remains determined to build what it
a new economic corridor in the Philippines as part of the G7 Partnership for Global Infrastructure Investment that would help develop clean
energy, port, agriculture and other projects in the country
That followed the Pentagon revealing earlier this week that the U.S., the U.K
and Australia were considering including Japan in the AUKUS partnership, a grouping launched in 2021 that aims to equip Australia with
nuclear-powered and conventionally armed submarines.Kishida visited Capitol Hill on Thursday for an address to U.S
lawmakers that focused on the need to strengthen the partnership between the U.S
and Japan at a time of tension in the Asia-Pacific and skepticism in Congress about U.S
The relationship has had ups and downs over the years and was in a difficult place when Marcos took office
last year, the first Washington visit by a Philippine president in more than a decade
Biden also met him on the sidelines of the U.N
General Assembly soon after Marcos took office, and dispatched Vice President Kamala Harris to Manila in 2022 to meet him.Last year, the
Philippines agreed to give the U.S
access to four more bases on the islands.Source: Associated Press-Agencies
