Tensions with China

USA pledges to defend Japan and the Philippines

US President Joe Biden with his Philippine counterpart Ferdinand Marcos and Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida (right).

(Bild: Associated Press)

US President Joe Biden has pledged the United States' defense support to Japan and the Philippines at a three-way summit in Washington. Biden said on Thursday at the meeting with his Philippine counterpart Ferdinand Marcos and Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida that the USA's commitments to the two Asian countries were unshakeable.

The Japanese head of government had previously appealed to the USA to maintain its global leadership role in the future. The meeting took place amid heightened tensions with China.

Dispute over territorial claims in the South China Sea
"Any attack on Philippine aircraft, ships or forces in the South China Sea" would activate a mutual defense agreement, Biden continued. China claims almost the entire South China Sea for itself. However, Brunei, Indonesia, Malaysia, the Philippines and Vietnam also lay claim to parts of the sea area. The tensions, together with China's increasingly aggressive behavior towards the self-governing island of Taiwan, have prompted Biden to strengthen alliances in the region.

Politicians speak of "historic" meeting
The three leaders described the meeting on Thursday as "historic". Without mentioning China by name, they emphasized their alliance as the foundation of peace and democracy in the Asia-Pacific region, in contrast to authoritarian Beijing. Marcos, who is seen as more aligned with Washington than his more China-oriented predecessor Rodrigo Duterte, said the leaders shared an "unwavering commitment to the rules-based international order".

The tripartite summit took place at the White House in Washington.

(Bild: Associated Press)

Earlier on Thursday, Japan's Prime Minister Kishida, who had arrived in the United States on Tuesday evening for a state visit, delivered a speech to both chambers of the US Congress. "Leadership by the United States is indispensable," he said.

Trump wants to keep the USA out of international conflicts
Even though he did not mention the likely presidential candidate of the opposition Republicans, Donald Trump, the Japanese guest's appeal was unmistakably directed not least at the former US president. Trump stands for an isolationist approach to foreign policy and wants to keep the USA out of international conflicts and crises as much as possible.

He recognizes "an undercurrent of self-doubt among some Americans as to what their role in the world should be", Kishida continued. He showed understanding for the fact that the USA is exhausted from being "the country that has almost single-handedly maintained the international order".

However, the Japanese Prime Minister also emphasized what he sees as the essential role of the United States in managing international conflicts. "Without US support, how long would it take before Ukraine's hopes collapse under Russia's attack?" asked Kishida.

He also posed the question: "Without the presence of the United States, how long would it be before the Indo-Pacific faced harsher realities?" Kishida was referring to China's territorial claims in the Asia-Pacific region.

US military command in Japan to be restructured
On Tuesday, Kishida and US President Joe Biden announced closer cooperation in defense. They presented plans to restructure the US military command in Japan. Biden also announced that Japan and the USA would set up a joint air defense network with Australia.

The Biden administration sees Japan as an important bulwark in the Asia-Pacific region against China. Kishida is the first Japanese head of government since Shinzo Abe in 2015 to be honored with a state visit to the USA.