Home NATIONWIDE ‘Trilateral cooperation’ sa Pinas, Japan, US pinagtibay ni Trump

‘Trilateral cooperation’ sa Pinas, Japan, US pinagtibay ni Trump

MANILA, Philippines – PINAGTIBAY ni US Secretary of State Marco Rubio ang commitment ng Estados Unios na panatilihin ang trilateral cooperation nito sa Pilipinas at Japan sa ilalim ng administrasyon ni US President Donald Trump.

Muli itong inulit ni Rubio sa isinagawang bilateral meeting kasama si Japan’s Foreign Minister Iwaya Takeshi sa Washington DC noong Enero 22 (Manila time).

Sa isang kalatas, sinabi ng Japanese Ministry of Foreign Affairs, na “The two Ministers concurred on the importance of further developing coordination of like-minded countries, including Japan-US-Republic of Korea, Japan-Australia-India-US, and Japan-US-Philippines.”

Sa hiwalay na kalatas, sinabi naman ng State Department na tinalakay ng dalawang opisyal kung paano ang Estados Unidos at Japan ay magkatuwang na magta-trabaho at kapit-bisig “to counter ongoing threats in the Indo-Pacific and around the world, including joint efforts against China’s destabilizing actions”.

Nauna rito, binigyang diin naman ng Tokyo ang pangangailangan para sa presensiya ng Estados Unidos sa Asya, lalo na sa gitna ng inilarawan nito bilang “increasingly severe strategic environment” sa rehiyon.

Sa kanyang naging pagbisita sa Maynila noong Enero 15, araw ng Miyerkules, sinabi ni Iwaya na ang trilateral Japan-US-Philippines relations ay “highly important framework” para maunawaan ang malaya at bukas na Indo-Pacific.

“Southeast Asia is located at a strategic pivot in the Indo-Pacific and is a world growth center, thus partnership with Southeast Asia is vital for regional peace and stability,” ang sinabi naman ni Foreign Affairs Secretary Enrique Manalo.

“We will approach the next US administration to convey that constructive commitment of the United States in this region is important, also for the United States itself,” dagdag na wika ni Manalo.

Sa nasabi pa ring araw, muli namang pinagtibay ng mga foreign ministers ng QUAD member states na sina Rubio, Iwaya, Indian Foreign Minister Subrahmanyam Jaishankar, at Australian Foreign Minister Penny Wong ang kanilang “shared commitment to strengthening a free and open Indo-Pacific where the rule of law, democratic values, sovereignty, and territorial integrity are upheld and defended”.

Sa kanyang confirmation hearing, inilarawan ni Rubio ang naging aksyon ng Beijing sa Asia Pacific bilang “deeply destabilizing” at hinikayat ang Tsina na iwasan ng gumawa ng “anything rash or irrational” pagdating sa Pilipinas at Taiwan kung ito ay seryoso na gawing matatag ang US-China relations.