SUMMARY
MANILA, Philippines – Last week, the Philippines began a “new trilateral chapter” with the United States and Japan – two countries which, once upon a time, were its colonizers.
The White House was host to the first-ever trilateral leaders summit between US President Joe Biden, Japan Prime Minister Kishida Fumio, and Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.
Several high-level meetings preceded and followed that trilateral summit – a state visit by Kishida to the White House, a bilateral meeting between Biden and Marcos, meetings between the foreign ministers of Japan and the Philippines, and what seems to be the first-ever 3 + 3 meeting of the US and the Philippines between its foreign and defense secretaries, and national security advisers.
The three countries “expressed… se…