Marcos eager to meet Blinken in Manila next week to formalize PH-US-Japan trilateral cooperation

BERLIN, Germany — President Marcos is looking forward to meeting United States Secretary of State Antony Blinken in Manila on Tuesday, March 19, to formalize the trilateral cooperation between the Philippines, Japan, and the US amid ongoing tensions in the West Philippine Sea.

In an interview with Manila-based reporters here in Berlin, the President said he is hoping that Blinken’s visit to the Philippines would strengthen the cooperation between the said three countries.

“We will perhaps formalize it but we, at this point, we are still, that’s part of the discussion that we will be having, exactly what will be put in any such agreement,” he said on Wednesday afternoon (Germany time).

“It is probably just formalizing what we are already doing, which will put a bit more structure to what we will do as to scheduling and operability, joint cruises that we are having,” he added.

According to Foreign Affairs Secretary Enrique Manalo, Blinken will arrive in Manila on March 18 and will pay a courtesy call to President Marcos the following day. Japan, however, has not confirmed its attendance yet.

Tensions in the South China Sea continue especially after Chinese President Xi Jinping called on armed forces to coordinate preparations for military conflicts at sea, protect maritime rights and interests, and develop maritime economy.

Despite this, President Marcos was unfazed by Xi’s order, saying there was nothing new with it.

“Well, frankly, I don’t think there is anything new there. That’s what they’ve been doing already,” he said.

“So, I’m not surprised but we will have to continue to do what we can to defend our maritime territory in the face of perhaps a more active attempt by the Chinese to annex some of our territory,” he added.

President Marcos on Tuesday, March 12, denied China’s claims that the Philippines rejected its proposals on the South China Sea and questioned the Asian superpower’s premise, saying nobody recognizes its so-called 10-dash line. — Argyll Cyrus Geducos