Citing the ‘critical situation’ in the contested South China Sea, the Philippines and the United States (US) held a second maritime dialogue to step up maritime policy and operational cooperation in a bid to address the varied transnational issues affecting the region.
*The Philippine delegation, co-led by Ambassador Jose Manuel Romualdez and Assistant Secretary Maria Angela A. Ponce, is shown together with the United States delegation, led by Deputy Assistant Secretary Jung H. Pak of the US State Department. (Photo from Philippine Embassy in Washington, D.C)*

In a statement on Saturday, July 22, the Philippine Embassy in Washington said that the second Philippines-US Maritime Dialogue held on July 21 in Washington D.C. was in line with the joint statement of President Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr. and US President Joseph Biden “to continue expanding engagement and cooperation on all issues of common concern.” The two parties maintained their commitment to a rules-based international order in the South China Sea to ensure freedom of navigation and trade. They are also committed to following the United Nations Convention for the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS) and the 2016 Arbitral Award, which essentially invalidated China’s sweeping maritime claims. “The rising tensions and critical situation in the West Philippine Sea and the South China Sea and the persistent and evolving challenges to the rules-based international order drive us to enhance ways to respond faster and in a more coordinated and effective manner,” Assistant Secretary for Maritime and Ocean Affairs Maria Angela Ponce said in her opening remarks. This came two weeks after the seventh anniversary of the arbitral award issued by the Hague-based Permanent Court of Arbitration (PCA) and amid calls by other countries for China to comply with it. “The two delegations also discussed the broad scope of Philippines-US bilateral maritime cooperation engagements and proposals, including measures to enhance combating transnational crimes at sea, addressing illicit, unreported, and unregulated fishing, and protecting and conserving the marine environment,” the statement read. Aside from Ponce, the Philippine delegation was co-led by Ambassador Jose Manuel Romualdez, while Deputy Assistant Secretary Jung Pak of the US State Department represented the US delegation. During the dialogue, there was a Track 1.5 session to discuss shared challenges in the South China Sea, including prospects for trilateral maritime cooperation between the Philippines, the US, and Japan. The Maritime Dialogue mechanism was established by the 9th Bilateral Strategic Dialogue (BSD) in 2021. This second dialogue follows a series of high-level talks between the Philippines and the United States, including Marcos’ working visit to Washington last May.