WASHINGTON, Jan 13: US President Joe Biden has held talks with Japanese Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba and Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jr., during which they discussed trilateral maritime security, economic cooperation and China’s alleged “dangerous and unlawful behavior” in the South China Sea, the White House said.
“Together the three Leaders discussed trilateral maritime security and economic cooperation, as well as the People’s Republic of China’s dangerous and unlawful behavior in the South China Sea,” the White House said in a statement on Sunday.
The sides agreed on the importance of further coordination to promote a free and open Indo-Pacific, the statement said.
Recently, disputes over contested areas in the South China Sea, claimed by both China and the Philippines, have led to repeated incidents involving vessels from both sides.
The territorial affiliation of several islands in the South China Sea has been the subject of disputes between China and several other Asia-Pacific countries for decades. Significant oil and gas reserves have been discovered on the continental shelves of those islands, including the Paracel Islands, the Spratly Islands, Thitu Island and Scarborough Shoal. Vietnam, Brunei, Malaysia, Taiwan and the Philippines have been part of the disputes.
The situation in the South China Sea is often complicated by the passage of US warships, which, according to the Chinese Foreign Ministry, violate international law and undermine China’s sovereignty and security. Despite Beijing’s protests, Washington has insisted on its right to sail wherever international law permits. (UNI)
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