Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida has arrived in Washington for a state visit to the United States. Regarding the first summit between the United States, Japan and the Philippines, a White House National Security Council official told Phoenix TV that the cooperation between the United States, Japan and the Philippines is not aimed at any country.
The White House said on the 9th that since Fumio Kishida took office in 2021, Biden and Kishida have met more than a dozen times. At the U.S.-Japan summit, the two sides will strengthen defense and security cooperation to ensure that the U.S.-Japan alliance is in the best possible position; the two sides will announce important achievements in civil space cooperation to ensure that they are at the forefront of space exploration; the two sides will also announce major research partnerships in key and emerging technologies, including artificial intelligence, quantum semiconductors, and clean energy; and will announce a series of commercial cooperation agreements.
The White House noted that Japan is one of the main supporters of infrastructure development in Ukraine, as well as in Southeast Asia and the Pacific island countries. It is reported that the two sides will also promote cultural and people-to-people ties between the United States and Japan.
The White House also confirmed that it is considering Japan joining the second pillar of the US-UK-Australia security and defense agreement, but the first pillar on building nuclear-powered submarines will not be expanded.
White House National Security Council Senior Director for East Asia Affairs Rapuse Hopper:
We will begin consultations with a range of partners, including Japan, and as announced yesterday, countries such as Japan may be involved in projects to develop other capabilities. Since the signing of the US-UK-Australia defense agreement, we have unanimously stated that it will include other pillars, and this is not a new partnership, but part of what was designed from the start.
The White House also confirmed that during the US-Japan-Philippines summit, Biden will reaffirm that the US-Philippines Mutual Defense Treaty covers Philippine ships in the South China Sea. China's Ministry of Foreign Affairs said a few days ago that defense cooperation between any country should be conducive to regional peace and stability. China opposes the cobbling together of exclusive "small circles" and bloc confrontation in the region. In this regard, the White House said that the US-Japan-Philippines summit is not intended to target any country.
Phoenix TV reporter Wang Bingru:
How does the U.S. want China to view the U.S.-Japan-Philippines summit? Are you worried that further military cooperation between the U.S. and the Philippines will lead to an escalation of the situation in the South China Sea?
White House National Security Council Senior Director for East Asia Affairs Rapuse Hopper:
I'm not going to describe or predict what China will think about this summit, but what I'm saying is that the Biden administration has said that that's our Indo-Pacific strategy, and that our alliances and partnerships are not designed to oppose anyone or anything.
The White House also revealed that the United States, Japan and the Philippines will announce new measures in the areas of energy security, economic and maritime cooperation, technology and cybersecurity partnerships, and infrastructure, and hopes to institutionalize trilateral cooperation between the United States, Japan and the Philippines in the future.
Source: Phoenix Satellite TV Wang Bingru and Wang Tianyi report from Washington
Editor: Qiu Guo