The White House has announced that it is planning to hold the first trilateral summit between Japan, the United States and the Philippines on April 11.

It said in a statement on Monday that it has invited President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. to Washington during Prime Minister Kishida Fumio's planned visit next month.

It says the leaders will reaffirm the "ironclad alliances" that the US has with the Philippines and Japan. It says they will also discuss trilateral cooperation to further peace and security in the Indo-Pacific and around the world.

Kishida is scheduled to hold talks with President Joe Biden on April 10 and address a joint session of Congress the next day.
The Biden administration is apparently aiming to strengthen tripartite ties at a time when China is increasingly assertive in the East and South China seas.

Tension has been heightening in the South China Sea between China and the Philippines over the Second Thomas Shoal, where Manila has a military outpost.

Japan's Chief Cabinet Secretary Hayashi Yoshimasa spoke to reporters on Tuesday. He said the Philippines is allied with both the United States and Japan. He said as a maritime nation neighboring Japan, the Philippines is an important partner to realize a free and open Indo-Pacific.

Hayashi said in order to sustain regional peace and prosperity, it's essential to deepen cooperation in wide areas with like-minded countries, such as the Philippines, with the Japan-US alliance as the standard.

He said as the global community is reaching a historical turning point, free and open international order based on the rule of law must be sustained and reinforced. He said cooperation between Japan, the United States and the Philippines will be further strengthened in order to do so.