Less than a year since his last visit to Washington DC, President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. is set to return to the US capital for the first-ever trilateral summit between the Philippines, the United States, and Japan next month.
According to a press release from the Presidential Communications Office (PCO) on Tuesday, March 19, Marcos will depart from Manila on April 11 for the summit. During his visit, he will engage in discussions with US President Joe Biden and Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida.
Marcos (Credits: Rappler)
The press release stated, “President Marcos will highlight trilateral cooperation as a natural progression of the Philippines’ historical and strong ties with these countries, thereby enhancing coordination and collaboration on common priority areas.”
In response to accusations from China’s defense spokesperson about “some big powers outside the region” stirring up trouble, the PCO emphasized the importance of discussing various topics ranging from maritime cooperation to infrastructure development, economic resiliency, trade and investments, clean energy and climate, as well as cybersecurity and the digital economy during the summit.
Marcos (Credits: Al Arabiya)
Additionally, Biden will host Marcos in the White House for a meeting aimed at recognizing the significant progress in Philippines-United States relations, as noted by Malacañang.
Given that Manila and Tokyo are treaty allies of Washington, the summit is expected to draw attention and raise eyebrows in Beijing, particularly against the backdrop of escalating tensions in the South China Sea and the complex dynamics between the US and China.
