United States Department of State Counselor Derek Chollet is optimistic that there will be more progress and developments when it comes to the proposed trilateral cooperation between the United States, the Philippines, and Japan in the South China Sea.
Chollet, who was in the Philippines for a three-day visit, met with his Philippine counterparts to discuss regional cooperation amid tensions in the South China Sea.
The US official said the South China Sea situation was also at the forefront of the discussions during the trilateral meeting of US State Secretary Antony Blinken, Foreign Affairs Secretary Enrique Manalo, and Japanese Foreign Minister Hayashi Yoshimasa in Jakarta, Indonesia last week.
“We talked about some ideas and ways that we can work together on common interests and of course the United States, Japan, and the Philippines have many common interests in this region,” Chollet said in a briefing with select members of the media in Makati on Monday.
“I think there’s a long list of opportunities there. We talked about some of the practical steps that need to be taken to move this concept forward. So I’m very optimistic that in the weeks and months ahead, you’re going to see more announcements coming about our work together in a trilateral format,” he added.
The US official said the US-Philippine relations under the Marcos presidency remains “very very strong” when asked on how Washington assesses the foreign policy direction of the current administration.
“What I can say is we believe that the US Philippine relationship is very, very strong right now… The foundation of our foreign policy in the United States is, it starts with allies and partners. We want strong allies and partners. We want successful and prosperous allies and partners to work with us across a range of issues. There is no problem that we can solve without our friends,” added Chollet.
Source : CNN