The U.S. and Philippines held the ninth round of Bilateral Strategic Dialogue on November 15-16 in Washington, D.C. with the focus on upholding the rules-based maritime order, strengthening defense cooperation, and dealing with the COVID-19 pandemic.
The U.S. delegation was led by Assistant Secretary of State Daniel Kritenbrink and Assistant Secretary of Defense Ely Ratner, while the Philippines Ambassador to the United States Jose Manuel Romualdez, Department of Foreign Affairs Undersecretary Ma. Theresa P. Lazaro and Department of National Defense Undersecretary Cardozo M. Luna represented Philippines in the dialogue.
According to the statement released by the U.S. Department of State, both sides “reaffirmed their commitment to peace, security, and economic prosperity in the Asia Pacific region”.
“Both countries consulted extensively on joint efforts to end the COVID-19 pandemic, uphold the rules-based maritime order in the South China Sea, foster respect for human rights, and strengthen interoperability of the U.S. and Philippine armed forces,” the statement added.
The U.S. and Philippine officials also discussed concrete measures to deepen the extensive economic relationship and agreed to cooperate in science and technology, fisheries, and infrastructure fields.
Both sides highlighted the importance of upholding the central role of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) in the Indo-Pacific region and affirmed that a strong and unified ASEAN is vital to regional security and prosperity.
At the end of the meeting, the United States and the Philippines also issued a joint statement that focused on maintaining international law-based maritime order, regional security architecture, strengthening bilateral partnership, and dealing with the COVID-19 and Climate challenges.
The U.S. and Philippine officials also agreed that China’s maritime claims in the South China Sea are inconsistent with the international law of the sea. “The United States fully stands by its “Position on Maritime Claims in the South China Sea”, released on July 13, 2020. The United States and the Philippines affirm that the PRC cannot lawfully assert a maritime claim – including any Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ) claims derived from Scarborough Reef and the Spratly Islands – vis-a-vis the Philippines in areas that the Tribunal found to be in the Philippines’ EEZ or on its continental shelf,” American officials highlighted during the meeting.
The U.S. and Philippine officials agreed to enhance the posture of their alliance to address new and emerging challenges and increase defense and security cooperation by conducting regular high-level visits and dialogues.
