Biden to meet with Philippines, Japanese leaders as worry grows about Chinese action in Indo-Pacific

By AAMER MADHANI
Associated Press

WASHINGTON (AP) — President Joe Biden is gathering Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. and Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida at the White House for a first-of-its-kind White House summit. Thursday’s meeting is aimed at demonstrating that Washington, Manila and Tokyo are in lockstep about their concerns about China’s military assertiveness in the Indo-Pacific. Senior administration officials say the leaders will announce that their nations’ coast guards will hold a joint patrol in the Indo-Pacific in 2024, a follow-up on law enforcement drills carried out last year by the allies in waters near the disputed South China Sea.