Top security, defense and foreign affairs officials of the Philippines and United States met in Washington, D.C. for their first-ever 3+3 Meeting to talk about the aggressive activities done by China in the West Philippine Sea (WPS) and find ways how to deal with it, the National Security Council (NSC) disclosed Sunday, April 14.

National Security Adviser (NSA) Eduardo Año, Department of National Defense (DND) Secretary Gilberto Teodoro Jr. and Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) Secretary Enrique Manalo met with their US counterparts National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan, Secretary of Defense Lloyd J. Austin III, and Secretary of State Antony J. Blinken on April 12 (US time).

“The parties reaffirmed their shared vision of a free and open Indo-Pacific and discussed ways to deepen coordination regarding shared challenges in the South China Sea, including repeated harassment of lawful Philippine operations by the People’s Republic of China,” the NSC said.

China has continued to make its presence felt in the West Philippine Sea as seen with the deployment of coast guard, navy, and maritime militia vessels in different areas within the Philippines’ exclusive economic zone (EEZ).

To help build up the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP), the US officials underscored Washington’s determination to increase support for the AFP’s modernization. They said this would improve the interoperability by the armed forces of the two countries and achieve their shared security objectives.

“The parties further decided to explore additional opportunities to strengthen global support for upholding international law,” the NSC said.

Blinken, Austin, and Sullivan have also reiterated the US’ “ironclad commitment” to its alliance with the Philippines as they took note of the 1951 Mutual Defense Treaty (MDT).

Signed by the two countries, the defense pact states that both nations shall support each other if one party is targeted by a third-party nation.

The US officials said that the pact extends to armed attacks on Philippine armed forces, public vessels or aircraft, including its coast guard, anywhere in the South China Sea.

The 3+3 ministerial meeting followed President Marcos’ bilateral meeting with US President Joe Biden and the historic Japan-Philippines-United States Trilateral Leaders’ Summit on April 11.

Meanwhile, China has opposed what it called "exclusive groupings" and "bloc confrontation" in the Indo-Pacific region even as it insisted that it won't be moved a bit by the defense partnership by the Philippines and US.