Top diplomats of the Philippines, the United States (US), and Japan have met in person for the first time since the three countries rolled out a trilateral maritime exercise to bolster their troops' joint naval capabilities amid China's aggression in the South China Sea.
*Photo courtesy of DFA Secretary Enrique Manalo*

Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) Secretary Enrique Manalo held a trilateral meeting with US Secretary of State Antony Blinken and Japanese Foreign Affairs Minister Yoshimasa Hayashi, who, on the seventh anniversary of the Arbitral Ruling on the South China Sea, called on China to recognize the award and adhere to international law. The meeting happened on the sidelines of the 56th Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) Foreign Ministers' Meeting in Jakarta, where Manalo also called for respect for rules-based order as China continued its threatening activities in the waters. "We exchanged views on strengthening our cooperation to ensure peace and stability in the Indo-Pacific," Manalo said in a tweet. The discussion among the three foreign ministers turned fruitful as Manalo said they already identified the next concrete steps. The three countries' next actions "would ensure that our partnership remains relevant and responsive to current and emerging challenges both on the defense and economic fronts", he noted. It was the first time that the three officials--the frontliners of their respective governments' foreign relations--met in person since troops of the three countries conducted early in June naval drills in the waters off Bataan province. For Japan, the drills were "historic" as Tokyo finally joined those it believed were "like-minded nations," which are the Philippines and the US, in ensuring the preservation of rules-based order. Meanwhile, at the opening session of ASEAN's ministerial session with China, Manalo called for the "effective management and peaceful resolution of disputes in accordance with international law" as far as developments in the South China Sea are concerned. He said the Philippines, which has legal sovereignty over the West Philippine Sea (WPS) that China still claims as its own, would welcome the completion of the second reading of the Single Draft Code of Conduct Negotiating Text to settle possible disputes. "[We also] look forward to continuing the COC negotiations in Manila in August, with a view towards adopting an effective and substantive COC," he added. "As we progress with renewed optimism, we must ensure that our gains are not undercut by threats to regional peace, security and stability, as well as major power rivalries," Manalo said.