PH, US vow to ‘double’ commitment...

PAGE 1 the Luzon Strait, the embassy said.

Japan has been locked in a dispute with China over the Senkaku islands in the East China Sea.

The Philippines, meanwhile, has been protesting the incursions of Chinese naval ships in Philippine-controlled islets in the South China Sea.

The Japanese embassy said Tokyo and Manila both affirm the “importance of rules-based, free and open maritime order,” and continue to work together toward the realization of a free and open Indo-Pacific, it said.

The Japan-Philippines Maritime Dialogue was formalized in light of the JapanPhilippines joint statement of June 2009, the embassy said.

The first meeting was held in Tokyo on Sept. 9, 2011, the second in Manila on Feb. 22, 2013, the third in Tokyo on June 11, 2019, and the fourth in a teleconference format on Oct. 22, 2021. n of strength for both of our nations," Blinken said in a joint press conference with Manalo, Austin, and Galvez.

"Today we focused on ways to continue our close partnership under the Enhanced Defense Cooperation Agreement (EDCA) so that our forces can work even more closely together," Blinken said.

He added, "I also reaffirmed the United States' unwavering commitment to standing with [the] Philippines against any intimidation or coercion, including in the South China Sea and to preserving a region that's governed by international law, where goods and ideas and people can move freely."

Foreign Affairs Secretary Enrique Manalo said, "At today's meeting, we doubled our commitment to modernizing the Philippine-U.S. alliance recognizing that our partnership will need to play a stronger role in preserving a rules- based international order."

He said the Philippines welcomes the U.S.' pledge to "fasttrack and drum up support" for the modernization of the Armed Forces of the Philippines as well as the implementation of EDCA projects in and around EDCA-agreed locations."

There are now nine locations in Philippine military facilities that will house U.S. troops and equipment under EDCA.

"I wish to point out that we also underscored the importance of equally ensuring that our modern alliance not only serves as an 'instrument of peace,' but it shall also be a force that brings about sustained economic benefits to our two countries down to our local communities," Manalo stressed.

For his part, Austin said, "We all reaffirm today that our Mutual Defense Treaty remains the bedrock of our cooperation."

"Secretary Blinken and I have said clearly and repeatedly the Mutual Defense Treaty applies to armed attacks on either of our armed forces or aircraft or public vessels including our

Coast Guard anywhere in the South China Sea," Austin said. Galvez, on the other hand, said the Philippine-U.S. has "weathered many challenges in the past and continues to stand strong today." "We reaffirm our commitment to [the] Mutual Defense Treaty, which is our cornerstone of our partnership," Galvez said. In a joint statement later released by the U.S. State Department, the officials have reaffirmed their shared determination to defend against external armed attack in the Pacific, which includes the South China Sea, in accordance with the 1951 Mutual Defense Treaty, the 1998 Visiting Forces Agreement and 2014 Enhanced Defense Cooperation Agreement. Both sides further look forward to continuing discussions regarding the nature of threats that "may arise in different domains -including land, sea, air, space, and cyberspace -- and effective responses." n