President Joe Biden has issued a sharp warning to Beijing as he hosted the first joint summit with Manila and Tokyo amid growing tensions over the South China Sea and the Philippines.
Biden, alongside Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida laid out a series of projects, from codeveloping missiles to manned moon landings, while condemning China's escalatory behaviour in the South China Sea region.
The 81-year-old said: "The United States’ defence commitments to Japan and to the Philippines are ironclad.
"Any attack on Philippine aircraft, vessels or armed forces in the South China Sea would invoke our mutual defence treaty."
President Biden with Japanese PM Fumio Kishida
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Meanwhile, Philippines Foreign Secretary Enrique Manalo said the country is determined to assert its sovereign rights in the area.
He said: "We are determined to assert our sovereign rights, especially within our exclusive economic zone.
China claims almost the entirety of the South China Sea, pushing aside competing claims from several south-east Asian nations including the Philippines. Coastguard ships also regularly approach disputed Japanese-controlled East China Sea islands near Taiwan.
At this week's summit in Washington, the three leaders discussed China's aggressive actions in the disputed South China Sea, besides unveiling a wide range of pacts to boost security and economic ties.
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Biden meets with Japan Prime Minister Kishida and Philippine President Marcos Jr
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Chinese Coast Guard vessels fire water cannons towards a Philippine resupply vessel
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A summit was held between the three nations in Washington
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President Biden and PM Kishida announced plans to upgrade their military alliance, including the US military command in Japan and more joint development of defence equipment.
The US President also hosted a separate summit with Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jr., where Biden warned of Beijing's South China Sea moves.
US Defence Secretary Lloyd Austin said: "We're working in lockstep with our colleagues at the (Philippines) Department of National Defence to strengthen interoperability between our forces, to expand our operational coordination and to stand up to coercion in the South China Sea."
Beijing foreign ministry spokesperson Mao Ning said Washington and Tokyo had "attacked China on Taiwan and maritime issues, grossly interfered in China’s internal affairs, and seriously violated the basic norms governing international relations."
US Defence Secretary Lloyd Austin pledged support for the Phillippines
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Biden meets with Japan Prime Minister Kishida and Philippine President Marcos Jr
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Earlier this week, Biden said the major upgrade in defence ties with Japan was "purely defensive" and "not aimed at any one nation or a threat to the region".
An official said the US plans a Coast Guard joint patrol in the Indo-Pacific region in the coming year as well as joint maritime training activities.
Washington will also place "humanitarian relief commodities for Philippine civilian disaster response" at Philippine military bases.
It was also confirmed more joint patrols in the coming months can be expected in the South China Sea after drills by the United States, Australia, the Philippines and Japan last weekend.