President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. said will be pushing for the interoperability among participants of the Philippines-United States-Japan defense cooperation during his meeting with US Secretary of State Antony Blinken next week.
He said he wants to iron out the details of the defense cooperation during the said meeting on Tuesday, March 19, 2024.
“It is probably just formalizing what we are already doing, which will put a bit more structure to what we will do as a…interoperability and the actual joint cruises that we are having,” Marcos told reporters in an interview in Germany on Wednesday.
Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) Secretary Enrique A. Manalo said aside from Blinken, who is expected to arrive in the country next Monday evening, Japan may also send a representative for the meeting on defense cooperation.
“As for Japan, it’s not confirmed if they will be coming or not, but at this stage we haven’t received any confirmation,” Manalo told the President.
Last December, officials from the three countries pledged to boost their defense and security efforts amid the increasing aggression of Chinese ships in the South China Sea.
They made the pronouncement after the Chinese Coast Guard used water cannons against Philippine vessels, which were on rotation and resupply mission to Ayungin Shoal and Bajo de Masinloc.
Marcos reiterated he will not allow China to engage in “more active attempts to annex” the country’s territories during his administration.