A collective show of naval power against China will be at the center of next month's trilateral summit in Washington, Politico reported. The US, Japan and the Philippines will begin joint naval patrols in the South China Sea later this year, according to a US official and a foreign diplomat familiar with the plan. It is a major move to counter China in the region, which is likely to provoke a strong response from Beijing.
The three-nation naval maneuvers are part of a package of initiatives that President Joe Biden, Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida and Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. will unveil at their first trilateral summit next month, the official and diplomat said. The White House is also expected to announce that it will "seriously consider" Japan becoming a technology partner in elements of the AUKUS security partnership between the US, UK and Australia, according to a Defense Department official and another person familiar with the planning. The two requested anonymity to speak ahead of the meeting of the three leaders.
The trilateral summit on April 11 is seen as key to strengthening the three countries' efforts to counter China's regional influence. White House spokeswoman Karin Jean-Pierre said in a statement last week that the three leaders would discuss ways to "further peace and security in the Indo-Pacific region," but gave no further details.
The situation in the South China Sea has become increasingly tense in recent years as China has used its military might to lay claim to waters internationally recognized as belonging to the Philippines. Beijing establishes bases and harasses Philippine coast guard units. Concerns are growing in Washington that Beijing and Manila could fall into open conflict. Beijing could also use these military posts to support a blockade or invasion of Taiwan in the coming years.
The joint naval patrols would represent the most robust affirmation of the Biden administration's Indo-Pacific strategy, which involves bringing together allies and partners to offset China's growing economic, diplomatic and military role in the region. While the US and the Philippines have conducted joint patrols before, this is the first time the Japanese navy will join them in a show of force designed to show Beijing that its bellicosity will not be tolerated. Japan's participation also reflects the Kishida government's intention to make Tokyo a bigger player in regional security alongside the US, which was announced in 2022 by doubling the defense budget within five years.
Joint operations also raise the risk of possible clashes with Chinese forces operating in the region. Beijing has already ignored Biden's repeated warnings that the US-Philippines Mutual Defense Treaty obligates the US to intervene if Philippine forces come under armed attack. In recent months, Chinese ships have on several occasions used water cannons against Philippine Coast Guard vessels, injuring Filipino sailors. Chinese forces "will continue to take decisive steps to protect their territorial interests," Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Lin Jiang said on Monday.
Marcos warned on Thursday that his government would respond with a "package of countermeasures" aimed at deterring "aggressive and dangerous attacks" by China in the South China Sea.
It is unclear how soon the trilateral maritime patrols will begin. The militaries of the three countries are already laying the groundwork for joint patrols - they began conducting joint naval exercises in the region in June. /BGNES
