In a warning clearly intended for Beijing, Joe Biden pledged on Thursday April 11 to defend the Philippines in the event of an “attack” in the South China Sea, during an unprecedented summit with the Japanese and Philippine leaders.
The American president declared that “any attack against an aircraft, a ship or the Philippine armed forces in the South China Sea would trigger the implementation of the mutual defense treaty” which binds Washington and Manila. A few hours later, the three leaders expressed in a joint statement their “deep concern about the dangerous and aggressive behavior of the People’s Republic of China in the South China Sea”, saying in particular “concerned by the militarization of the territories gained and by illegal maritime claims” in this strategic region.
President Joe Biden received Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos and Prime Minister Fumio Kishida at the White House during an unprecedented trilateral summit, against a backdrop of serial incidents involving China in this tense maritime area. “The United States’ commitment to the security of Japan and the Philippines is unwavering,” said the 81-year-old Democrat. He spoke of the shared objective of an Asia-Pacific zone that is “free, open, prosperous and secure”, the now usual expression used by Americans to refer to projects deemed, on the contrary, dangerous and aggressive by China. The latter should hardly appreciate these comments.
The Chinese authorities had already reacted virulently to the announcement, made on Wednesday, of increased military cooperation between the United States and Japan. “The United States and Japan, disregarding China’s serious concerns, have defamed and attacked China on Taiwan and maritime issues,” Mao Ning, a ministry spokeswoman, said at a regular press briefing. Chinese Foreign Affairs.
The American president received Fumio Kishida on Wednesday for a sumptuous visit, a prelude to this trilateral meeting with Ferdinand Marcos, the son and namesake of the former dictator of the Philippines, who came to power in June 2022.
“Biggest strategic challenge”
The Philippine head of state welcomed a “historic” meeting, in short remarks in the presence of the press. “Today’s meeting gives us the opportunity to define the future we want and the means to achieve it together,” he added. China’s military actions “represent an unprecedented challenge, and the greatest strategic challenge not only to the peace and security of Japan but to the peace and security of the entire international community,” the Prime Minister said. Japanese minister, earlier Thursday, before the American Congress.
In recent months, tensions between China and the Philippines – which are increasingly asserting their territorial claims – have reached levels not seen in years. The cause: a series of incidents since the end of 2023 near disputed reefs in the South China Sea. Last month, two collisions between Chinese and Philippine ships took place near the Second Thomas Atoll, named Ren’ai by China. In this context, Joe Biden announced that the United States, the Philippines and Japan would “deepen their ties in terms of maritime security”. He also promised closer economic and technological cooperation, particularly to develop major infrastructure projects in the Philippines.
Joe Biden has undertaken to weave a tight network of alliances in the Asia-Pacific in order to confront Chinese strategic ambitions. Last year, he had already hosted, this time in the Camp David residence, an unprecedented trilateral summit with the leaders of Japan and South Korea.