The Philippine President also assured that the trilateral agreement his country has signed with Japan and the United States covers issues beyond security and defence, such as /”economic assistance and partnership/”.
Marcos Jr. referred to the recent confirmation by the Chinese Embassy in Manila that his predecessor, Rodrigo Duterte, had reached a gentleman’s agreement with Xi Jinping on the Ayungin Shoal (a disputed territory between China, the Philippines, Vietnam and Taiwan). The president claimed not to know what the agreement was about, but acknowledged that it existed and encouraged journalists to investigate.
Encounters have become more frequent in the past year as Beijing presses its claims and Manila refuses to halt fishing and resupply activities for Philippine military personnel at two contested shoals. China considers these illegal intrusions, and has tried to repel the vessels.
In a series of Washington summits this week, the allied leaders unveiled a wide range of pacts to boost security and economic ties in the face of China’s growing might.
Earlier on Friday, China summoned Japanese and Philippine diplomats to express strong dissatisfaction over negative comments about it aired during Thursday’s trilateral summit.
(Production: Greg Savoy, Jose Pablo Diaz)
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