WASHINGTON, D.C.: United States President Joseph Biden reiterated that any attack on Philippine vessels and other entities in the South China Sea would be an opportunity for the decades old Mutual Defense Treaty between the US and Philippines to be activated.

In his opening statement during the JAPHUS (Japan, Philippines, United States) trilateral meeting in the White House, the American leader reaffirmed his government's commitment to defending the Philippines against any violent confrontation.

"As I said before, any attack on Philippine aircraft, vessels, or armed forces in the South China Sea would invoke our mutual defense treaty," Biden said. "We are deepening our maritime and security ties." In response, President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. pointed out both countries' shared commitment of fostering "a peaceful, stable, and prosperous Indo-Pacific." "It is a partnership, borne not out of convenience nor of expediency, but as a natural progression of a deepening relations and robust cooperation amongst our three nations, linked by a profound respect for democracy, good governance, and the rule of law," he said.

Marcos, Biden, and Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida met in Washington, D.C. on Thursday (local time) for the historic summit aimed at enhancing existing collaborations and forging new ones particularly in the areas of defense and trade.

RELATED LINKS: Biden's April 11 bilateral meeting with Marcos at the White House Joint Vision Statement of Japan, the Philippines, and the United States Fact Sheet: Celebrating the Strength of the US-Philippines Alliance Read The Rest at :