PRESIDENT Ferdinand Marcos Jr. will have a meeting on March 19 with US Secretary of State Anthony Blinken in Manila.

In a press briefing in Berlin, Germany,.Marcos said the meeting will focus on security and cooperation matters.

“Well, of course, we hope the intention is to continue to plan, to strengthen the cooperation between the three countries—the United States, Japan, and the Philippines. And we will perhaps formalize it but we, at this point, we are still…that’s part of the discussion that we will be having to exactly what will be put in any agreement,” Marcos said.

“It is probably just formalizing what we are already doing, which will put a bit more structure to what we will do as a interoperability and the actual joint cruises that we are having,” the President added.

Foreign Affairs Secretary Enrique Manalo said Blinken will arrive in Manila on March 18.

Manalo has yet to confirm if Japan Foreign Minister Yoko Kamikawa will attend the meeting.

Marcos assured the public that he will defend the Philippine territory after Chinese President Xi Jinping called on the armed forces to coordinate preparations for military conflicts at sea.

“Well, frankly, I don’t think there’s anything new there,” Marcos said.

“So, I’m not surprised, but we will have to continue to do what we can to defend our maritime territory in the face of perhaps a more active attempt by the Chinese to annex some of our territory,” the President added.

AUTHOR PROFILE

Chona Yu