The new scale of US support for the Philippines serves as a starting point for expanding Washington’s leadership in the Indo-Pacific

On March 13, 2024, it became known that the US President plans to host the first trilateral summit with the Prime Minister of Japan and President of the Philippines Marcos Jr. in Washington, DC. The summit will occur during the Japanese leader’s visit to the United States, scheduled for April 10, 2024.

The Washington Summit’s central theme will be expanding China’s deterrence and strengthening trilateral military cooperation between the United States, the Philippines, and Japan.

The United States’ rapprochement with the Philippines manifests its desire to diversify its stakes as part of its “delegated leadership” strategy, under which the United States is creating several centers of economic and geopolitical power in the Indo-Pacific to contain China.