Washington, DC [US], April 12 (HBTV): The United States' defense commitments to Japan and the Philippines are "ironclad," US President Joe Biden said on Thursday as he hosted the first-ever trilateral summit between the three countries, welcoming Filipino President Ferdinand Marcos Jr to the White House a day after the official visit of Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida, CNN reported.  

The US-Japan-Philippines trilateral comes after the creation of groupings in the Indo-Pacific, starting with the Quad, comprising India, the US, Australia and Japan, and the AUKUS, consisting of Australia, the US and the UK, amid increasing concerns over China's military muscle-flexing in the region.  

"When we stand as one, we're able to forge a better future for all," Biden said in the East Room of the White House Thursday.   

According to CNN, tensions between the Philippines and China have been focused on the Second Thomas Shoal, situated approximately 200 kilometers off the coast of Palawan, Philippines. In the 1990s, the Philippines intentionally grounded an aging World War II-era navy transport ship on the shoal to reinforce its territorial claim. The ship is now mostly rusted wreckage and is manned by Filipino marines stationed on rotation.   

China asserts sovereignty over the shoal, located within the Philippines' exclusive economic zone, as part of its broader claims in the South China Sea, disregarding an international arbitration ruling. 

Recent clashes have occurred when the Philippines’ attempts to resupply the forces on the ship were met by China Coast Guard ships firing water cannons at the Philippine resupply boats, resulting in injuries to Filipino sailors and damage to the vessels, as per CNN.   

Biden said on Thursday, referencing the Filipino-Chinese tensions, that "any attack on Philippine aircraft, vessels or armed forces in the South China Sea would invoke our mutual defense treaty."   

The 1951 mutual defense treaty between the US and the Philippines, the oldest of its kind in the Asia-Pacific region, obligates both nations to come to each other's defense in the event of an attack by a third party.     

Thursday's meeting signifies the administration's ongoing efforts to address Chinese aggression, with a senior administration official expressing deep concern over China's actions in the South China Sea, and affirming at the head of the meeting that the White House is ‘very concerned’ by China's actions in the South China Sea. 

"What you'll see is a clear demonstration of support and resolve from both President Biden and Prime Minister Kishida that we stand shoulder to shoulder with Marcos, ready to support and work with the Philippines at every turn," one official said ahead of Thursday's meeting.      

Marcos said on Thursday that the Philippines, Japan, and the United States "meet today as friends and partners bound by a shared vision in pursuit of a peaceful, stable and prosperous Indo-Pacific."

The three countries, Marcos added, are "linked by a profound respect for democracy, good governance, and the rule of law." 

(ANI)  This is a syndicated news feed. HBTV has edited it for clarity.