Japan pushes Philippines, US to Form Anti-China Security Framework

Japan, the Philippines and the United States plan to set up a trilateral framework involving their national security advisers, officials familiar with the matter said recently, amid China’s growing military assertiveness in the Indo-Pacific region
.
Their first discussions under the new scheme may take place as early as April, said Eduardo Ano, security adviser to Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jnr. Ano said he is “willing to attend” the meeting although details, including which country will host the talks, remain fluid.

An aide to Ano separately disclosed on Friday that the proposal to initiate a three-way security dialogue was put forward by Japan which, with the US, believes that forging closer ties with the Philippines is essential for boosting deterrence against Beijing and preparing for a potential crisis over Taiwan.

White House National Security Adviser Jake Sullivan and his Japanese counterpart Takeo Akiba are expected to be the two other representatives at the envisioned meeting, according to a US government source.

Another US government source said the trilateral meeting is likely to take place after the US and the Philippines hold security talks involving their foreign and defence ministers in Washington on April 11.

The so-called two-plus-two talks between the two countries will be convened for the first time since January 2016, signalling that the administration of Marcos Jnr continues to pursue a different foreign policy approach from his predecessor, Rodrigo Duterte.

Duterte, who held office for six years until June 2022, repeatedly threatened to sever the Philippines’ long-time security ties with the US and often ignored China’s illegal incursions in the South China Sea.

Beijing claims almost all of the South China Sea, but the Philippines, several other Southeast Asian countries and Taiwan have overlapping claims.