Safeguarding ‘freedom of navigation'

The Philippines, United States and Japan reaffirmed their commitment to maintaining peace, stability and freedom of navigation in the South China Sea under their trilateral partnership during a meeting of the countries' foreign ministers Thursday, July 10.

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Foreign Affairs Secretary Theresa Lazaro also thanked United States Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Japanese Foreign Minister Iwaya Takeshi for their “enduring support” for the Philippines’ position in the South China Sea during the trilateral talks on the sidelines of the ASEAN foreign ministers’ meeting in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.

This is the first time that these specific foreign ministers had convened together, with Iwaya and Rubio congratulating Lazaro on her recent appointment to the post.

The three-way talks vowing to safeguard freedom of navigation in the South China Sea took place weeks after Beijing, in a show of expanding military reach, deployed two aircraft carriers into the Pacific Ocean for joint drills — the first time its flattops have operated thousands of miles from home.

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