MANILA: The upcoming trilateral summit between the United States, Philippines and Japan will include an agreement to maintain security and freedom of navigation in the South China Sea, Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. said on Wednesday.

Marcos left for Washington on Wednesday afternoon for talks with U.S. President Joe Biden and Japanese Prime Minister KISHIDA Fumio.

The Philippine leader told reporters earlier in the day that there will be an agreement on South China Sea issues, but emphasised that the summit is mainly aimed at boosting economic ties between the three allies.

“The main intent of this trilateral agreement is for us to be able to continue to flourish, to be able to help one another, and of course to keep the peace in the South China Sea and the freedom of navigation,” Marcos said in a separate speech ahead of his departure to Washington.

Marcos said he aims to explore ways to advance cooperation with Japan and the United States on key areas that include infrastructure, semiconductors, cyber security, critical minerals, renewable energy and defence and maritime cooperation.

Marcos is also set to hold discussions with Biden ahead of the meeting among the three leaders.

The Philippines under Marcos has deepened military ties with both the United States and Japan as maritime run-ins with China in the South China Sea have escalated.

Marcos has allowed to nearly double Philippine bases American soldiers can access under the Enhanced Defence Cooperation Agreement, and talks are underway with Japan for a reciprocal access agreement that will allow the presence of Japanese forces on Philippine soil.

At the same time, Marcos has also denied the existence of a so-called “gentleman’s agreement” reportedly struck under predecessor Rodrigo Duterte with Beijing to “keep the status quo” in Second Thomas Shoal, a disputed maritime feature in the South China Sea.

A spokesperson during Duterte’s term which ended in 2022 confirmed last month that such an agreement was made. Under that deal, the Philippines agreed not to bring construction materials to repair a rusting warship Manila deliberately grounded in 1999 to bolster its maritime claims. Marcos reiterated to reporters that there are no records of the deal.

“I am horrified by the idea that we have compromised through a secret agreement the territory, the sovereignty and the sovereign rights of the Philippines,” Marcos told reporters.

China claims almost the entire South China Sea, overlapping with territorial claims of the Philippines, Vietnam, Malaysia and Brunei.

In 2016, the Permanent Court of Arbitration in the Hague said China’s claims had no legal basis, a decision Beijing has rejected.”

Reuters