(first published here: state.gov)

The following statement was jointly released by the United States and The Philippines on the occasion of the successful conclusion of the 11^th Philippines-United States Bilateral Strategic Dialogue in Washington, D.C.:

Begin Text:

Senior Philippine and U.S. officials gathered in Washington for the 11th Philippines-United States Bilateral Strategic Dialogue (BSD) on April 22 and 23. First held in 2011, the BSD serves as the main annual platform for our two countries to: discuss the full range of political, security, and economic cooperation; exchange views on current challenges and strategic priorities; and identify new collaborative initiatives.

Both sides recalled milestones of the intervening year, reflecting shared dedication to further fostering the bilateral partnership and alliance. These include: two meetings between Presidents Biden and Marcos; the joint State and Defense Ministerial Dialogue (“2+2 Ministerial”); a U.S. Presidential Trade and Investment Mission to the Philippines; a trilateral ministerial; and leader-level trilateral summit with Japan, as well as inaugural bilateral dialogues on food security and energy policy.

In keeping with Presidents Marcos and Biden’s “shared vision of partnership, peace, and prosperity,” the two sides re-dedicated themselves to cooperation by:

Expanding the Breadth of Partnership. The two sides renewed pledges to work together to address pressing global and regional challenges in support of a free, safe, and open Indo-Pacific. Underscoring the importance of continued dialogue to ensure cooperation on issues of mutual interest, both sides committed in 2024 to:

• Hold the fourth “2+2” ministerial dialogue;
• Convene the inaugural joint committee meeting under the U.S.-Philippines Science and Technology Agreement;
• Establish a Roles, Missions, and Capabilities (RMC) Working Group to replace the Defense and Security Working Group;
• Establish inaugural bilateral dialogues on cyber-digital, space, and democracy; and
• Deepen collaboration on countering foreign information manipulation.

Modernizing Alliance Cooperation. The Philippines and the United States reiterated the importance of the security alliance and shared commitments under the Mutual Defense Treaty in an increasingly complex security environment. They committed to establishing a new framework for alliance communication and coordination, enhancing operational cooperation and interoperability in the maritime domain, including with likeminded partners, and accelerating capability development. Building upon the historic progress in the defense relationship, including the unprecedented scope and scale of this year’s Exercise BALIKATAN, a combined exercise with Japan and Australia in the South China Sea, and monthly bilateral maritime cooperative activities, the two sides committed to further defense and security cooperation by continuing discussions with a view to:

• Concluding the bilateral Philippines – Security Sector Assistance Roadmap (P-SSAR);
• Fully finalizing the addition of sites and implementing the Enhanced Defense Cooperation Agreement (EDCA), to include DoD investing $128 million for infrastructure as part of the President’s Fiscal Year 2025 budget;
• Prepositioning USAID disaster relief commodities for Philippine civilian disaster response authorities at key EDCA sites;
• Concluding a General Security of Military Information Agreement (GSOMIA) by the end of 2024; and
• Expanding multilateral cooperation with likeminded countries, including through maritime cooperative activities, bilateral and multilateral exercises, and security cooperation coordination.

Promoting An International Law-Based Maritime Order. In reiterating their shared commitment to a maritime order based on international law, the two sides called upon the PRC to comport its maritime claims in the South China Sea with the international law of the sea as reflected in the 1982 United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (the “Convention”), to respect the Philippines’ sovereign rights and jurisdiction, to comply with the final and binding July 12, 2016 judgment in the Philippines v. China arbitration, and to cease its aggressive and dangerous actions that are inconsistent with its obligations under the Convention, including its unlawful interference with the Philippines’ freedom of navigation in the South China Sea.

The two sides recognized the importance of maintaining peace and security in the maritime domain, including transit routes for foreign merchant and commercial vessels, and called for the safe and immediate return of the Filipino seafarers affected by the crisis in the Red Sea.

The U.S. and Philippine governments decided to:

• Convene the 3rd Maritime Dialogue in September/October 2024 in Manila and build upon the outcomes of the countries’ prior dialogues and meetings;
• Explore additional opportunities to strengthen global support for upholding the international law of the sea;
• Deepen cooperation to strengthen efforts in addressing Illegal, Unreported and Unregulated (IUU) Fishing, in line with relevant international law and voluntary guidelines; andConsider and develop, as appropriate, procedures and protocols on cooperative maritime law enforcement operations, in accordance with international law and our respective national laws

Advancing Our Common Prosperity, Protecting Our Shared Planet. Both sides stressed that our partnership should continue to benefit our peoples and future generations alike. They welcomed work to advance best practices in strategic trade management and the clean and renewable energy transition, noting the ongoing engagement on civil nuclear cooperation and the signing of a civil nuclear cooperation agreement.  They recognized the significant outcomes made under the U.S. 2023 Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) host year and progress under the Indo-Pacific Economic Framework for Prosperity (IPEF), especially through the entry into force of the Supply Chains Agreement and conclusion of the Clean Economy and Fair Economy Agreements.  The Philippines welcomed the development of a Millennium Challenge Corporation threshold program and the United States’ commitment to considering the Philippines for the Compact Program based on updated data later this year. The two sides committed to advancing the Luzon Economic Corridor under the Partnership for Global Infrastructure and Investment (PGI)-IPEF Investment Accelerator, to support connectivity between Subic Bay, Clark, Manila, and Batangas and investments in rail, port modernization, clean energy and semiconductor supply chains, and agribusiness. Both sides also discussed opportunities for further cooperation on critical minerals processing, digital upskilling, and semiconductor supply chains under the CHIPS Act and in cooperation with USAID. Both sides exchanged views on addressing economic vulnerabilities and approaches to strengthening private sector partnerships, recognizing the imperative of increasing economic growth in both countries. They also shared priorities for the May 21 Indo-Pacific Business Forum in Manila, which will be sponsored by the U.S. Government in partnership with the Government of the Philippines.

Strengthening Multilateral Cooperation. Both sides discussed their respective and shared multilateral priorities, identifying opportunities for closer cooperation at the United Nations (UN) and other international organizations. They emphasized the importance of strengthening the free, safe, and open international order based on rule of law and respecting the UN Charter as the foundation of cooperation among nations. Both sides:

• Underscored the urgent need to accelerate the implementation of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and the Sustainable Development Goals;
• Strongly opposed any threat or use of force against the territorial integrity or political independence of any state;
• Reaffirmed the importance of peace and stability across the Taiwan Strait; and
• Committed to advance a free, safe, and open Indo-Pacific, which is inclusive, prosperous, secure, and based on international law, and that protects shared principles including territorial integrity; sovereignty; sovereign rights and jurisdiction; and the peaceful resolution of disputes.

End Text

Joint Statement

20 January 2023 — Senior Philippine and U.S. foreign affairs and defense officials convened in Manila on 19-20 January 2023 for the 10th Philippines-United States Bilateral Strategic Dialogue (BSD). First held in 2011, the BSD serves as the main annual platform for our two countries to discuss the full range of political, security, and economic cooperation, exchange views on current challenges and strategic priorities, and identify new collaborative initiatives at the working group and senior officials’ levels.

Recalling the Joint Vision for a 21st Century United States-Philippines Partnership that was adopted at the 9th BSD in Washington DC in November 2021, both sides welcomed developments over the past year that reaffirmed their commitment to the Alliance and partnership. High-level engagements, including between the Presidents and Cabinet Secretaries of both sides, have increased under the assumption of the administration of Philippine President Marcos, giving important momentum to bilateral ties and demonstrating the resounding interest of both sides to work together to realize peace and prosperity for the peoples of both countries.

During the 10th BSD, the Philippines and the United States determined to pursue cooperation in the following areas:

Cultivating A Stronger Partnership. The Philippines and the United States underscored the importance of regular and sustained dialogue at both the policy and operational levels to ensure cooperation on issues of mutual interest and concern. To this end, both sides:

• Renewed their commitment to bringing together their Defense and Foreign Ministers this year in the Two-Plus-Two Ministerial Dialogue format. This year’s Dialogue will be the third such meeting following the earlier meetings in 2012 and 2016.

Manila, April 22, 2022—On April 20, the Philippines and the United States launched their inaugural Maritime Dialogue in Manila. 

The Dialogue, led by Department of Foreign Affairs Assistant Secretary for Maritime and Ocean Affairs Maria Angela Ponce and U.S. Department of State Deputy Assistant Secretary Jung Pak, highlighted the successes of ongoing cooperative efforts and discussed ways for the two sides to cooperatively address current challenges and shared maritime concerns, especially in the South China Sea. 

The Dialogue was established by the 9th Bilateral Strategic Dialogue held on November 15 and 16, 2021 in Washington D.C., as reflected in the Joint Vision Statement. 

“It is no coincidence that this Maritime Dialogue was agreed upon during the 75th anniversary of our bilateral relations.  These are not new roots we are planting, just new shoots to the trunk of this old tree that is the abiding alliance between the Philippines and the United States, that will grow to define and articulate the deepening maritime relations,” said Assistant Secretary Ponce. 

Deputy Assistant Secretary Pak said the Dialogue allowed for a wide-ranging exchange, offering officials a greater understanding of shared priorities. 

“Demonstrating our enduring commitment to the Indo-Pacific and our collaboration with our allies and partners will help us to achieve a free and open, interconnected, prosperous, resilient, and secure region for all,” said U.S. Embassy in the Philippines Chargé d’Affaires ad interim Heather Variava. 

The delegations underscored their shared interest in a strengthened rules-based order in the South China Sea, in accordance with the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea and the 2016 Award on the South China Sea arbitration. 

The Dialogue also discussed challenges to Philippine sovereignty, sovereign rights, and jurisdiction; the growing sophistication of transnational crime; and countering illegal, unreported, and unregulated fishing (IUUF).  In particular, it was noted that IUUF destroys marine habitats and depletes fish stocks, threatens food security, and threatens maritime security. 

Other topics discussed were environmental conservation including on marine plastic pollution, climate action, and marine scientific research. 

Participants included representatives from the defense, security, fisheries, environment, and law enforcement agencies of both sides. 

The Philippines and the United States look forward to holding the Maritime Dialogue annually. 

Manila, November 12, 2021—The United States and the Philippines will hold the ninth Bilateral Strategic Dialogue (BSD) in person and virtually on November 15 and 16 in Washington, D.C.

Since January 2011, the BSD has brought together senior leaders to discuss cooperation on defense, economics, rule of law, and regional diplomacy between the United States and the Philippines.

Assistant Secretary of State for East Asian and Pacific Affairs Daniel J. Kritenbrink will co-chair the robust discussions regarding work across the broad spectrum of U.S.-Philippine cooperation alongside Assistant Secretary of Defense for Indo-Pacific Security Affairs Ely Ratner.

U.S. representatives will be joined by their counterparts from the Philippine government, Ambassador to the United States Jose Manuel Romualdez and Department of National Defense Undersecretary Cardozo M. Luna.

In addition to Assistant Secretaries Kritenbrink and Ratner, the U.S. delegation will include senior leadership from the Bureau of East Asian and Pacific Affairs, Bureau of International Narcotics and Law Enforcement Affairs, Bureau of Oceans and International Environmental and Scientific Affairs, and USAID.

The most recent BSD was held in Manila on July 15 and 16, 2019.  The last BSD to be held in Washington, D.C. took place in November 2017.

Manila, July 17, 2019 — The Republic of the Philippines and the United States of America held the Eighth Bilateral Strategic Dialogue from 15 to 16 July 2019 in Manila, Philippines.  Department of Foreign Affairs Undersecretary for Policy Enrique Manalo and Department of National Defense Undersecretary Cesar Yano co-led the Philippine delegation.  Assistant Secretary of State for East Asian and Pacific Affairs David Stilwell and Assistant Secretary of Defense for Indo-Pacific Security Affairs Randy Schriver co-led the U.S. delegation.

The Bilateral Strategic Dialogue is the principal forum for discussing the full range of political, security, and economic cooperation between the Philippines and the United States, comprising four working groups: 1) Defense and Security; 2) Economics, Development, and Prosperity; 3) Regional and Global Diplomatic Engagement; and, 4) Rule of Law and Law Enforcement.

The discussions between Foreign Affairs Secretary Teodoro L. Locsin, Jr. and Secretary of State Michael Pompeo in March 2019 and the Joint Statement resulting from the meeting in Manila between President Rodrigo R. Duterte and President Donald J. Trump in November 2017 provided strategic direction to the Dialogue.

Both sides recognized the importance of a strong Philippines-U.S. alliance in enhancing security cooperation and promoting regional stability and prosperity.  They recalled Secretary Pompeo’s statements on the 1951 Mutual Defense Treaty (MDT) during his March 2019 visit to Manila, particularly the clarification that the South China Sea (SCS) is in the Pacific, and that any armed attack on Philippine armed forces, public vessels, or aircraft in the SCS will trigger Article IV of the Mutual Defense Treaty.  Noting this, senior officials discussed a wide variety of issues of mutual interest and reaffirmed their commitment to deepening the alliance and expanding areas of cooperation.

The Philippines and the United States pledged to enhance already robust defense cooperation, including by improving defense infrastructure, updating personnel and logistics procedures, and increasing mutual communication and coordination on operational elements of regional security.  In this context, both sides commit to begin planning on a range of activities to improve maritime domain awareness.

Both sides reaffirmed their commitment to uphold freedom of navigation, overflight, and other lawful uses of the SCS, and stressed the importance of peacefully resolving disputes in accordance with international law, as reflected in the Law of the Sea Convention.  Both sides also emphasized the importance of concluding an effective and substantive Code of Conduct (COC) that would not prejudice the rights under international law of both claimant states and non-claimant states in the SCS.

The Philippines and the U.S. delegations reaffirmed their commitment to deepening the extensive economic relationship between the two countries and undertook substantive discussions on cooperating in areas such as science and technology, agriculture, fisheries, health, environment, energy, infrastructure, connectivity, and cyber security, among others.

The Philippines and the United States recognized the importance of the bilateral Trade and Investment Framework Agreement (TIFA), which has enabled both countries to make concrete and significant progress on outstanding bilateral trade issues.  They also look forward to further discussions under the TIFA mechanism, recalling statements of both countries’ leaders in support of increasing trade in a manner that observes the principles of free, fair, and reciprocal trade.

The Philippine and U.S. delegations emphasized the importance of the rule of law, human rights, and fundamental freedoms.  The senior officials pledged to continue working together to effectively eliminate human trafficking and in this regard, noted the Tier 1 ranking maintained by the Philippines in the 2019 Trafficking in Persons Report.  Both sides committed to collaborate more closely on enhancing legal aid services as well as on countering transnational crimes such as human and drug trafficking.

The senior officials pledged to deepen their work to counter terrorism and violent extremism through improved information sharing, and port and aviation security, in order to prevent terrorist attacks within the Philippines, and the transit of foreign terrorist fighters into and within the Philippines.  In addition, both delegations committed to upholding international best practices to detect and combat money laundering and the financing of terrorism.

The United States acknowledged the importance of the ASEAN Outlook on the Indo-Pacific and recognized ASEAN centrality as integral to its Indo-Pacific Strategy.  Both sides committed to deepen their engagement with partners in the region based on inclusiveness, openness, rule of law, good governance, and respect for international law.

The Philippines expressed its appreciation to the United States for the return of the Bells of Balangiga in December 2018.  Their journey home reaffirmed the mutual respect and deep friendship between the two countries and their peoples. In support of the alliance, the United States announced a new “Philippines-U.S. Alliance Fellowship” for young Philippine scholars.  Both sides have taken steps to strengthen cultural exchanges between our two countries, including developing a joint pilot project to support teachers coming to the United States from the Philippines on the Exchange Visitors Program.

At the conclusion of the BSD, the Philippines and the United States signed the following:

1. Joint Statement on Higher Education Cooperation; and
2. A Science and Technology Agreement.

The Philippines and the United States reaffirmed the importance of regular high-level consultations and the opportunity to have a common understanding of issues, and thus intend to convene the ninth BSD in Washington, D.C. in 2020 to continue these discussions in furtherance of forging an even stronger partnership under the Philippines-U.S. alliance.

U.S. Ambassador to the Philippines Sung Y. Kim and Philippine Department of Science and Technology Secretary Fortunato de la Peña signed an agreement on scientific and technological cooperation at the close of the Bilateral Strategic Dialogue on July 16.

Manila, July 17, 2019 — U.S. Ambassador to the Philippines Sung Y. Kim and Philippine Department of Science and Technology Secretary Fortunato de la Peña signed an agreement on scientific and technological cooperation at the close of the Bilateral Strategic Dialogue on July 16.  Under the agreement, the two nations commit to promote scientific collaboration, build relationships between their respective scientific institutions and communities, and provide opportunities to exchange ideas and information in order to advance common goals.

“The United States is proud to partner with the Philippines to promote scientific advancement and cultivate relationships based on open collaboration,” said Ambassador Kim.  “We believe the combined abilities of our scientists, our institutions, and our communities are more than a match for the shared challenges we face.”

Secretary de la Peña said, “There is so much to work on together, particularly those problems that will affect ordinary people.  Whether you are talking about the environment or innovation, there is much to gain by mutual cooperation.”

Planned areas for cooperation under the agreement include public health, marine sciences, environmental protection, and energy. The agreement, signed during National Science and Technology Week, will be in effect for ten years.

Manila, July 16, 2019 — I was honored to co-chair the U.S.-Philippines Bilateral Strategic Dialogue, July 15-16 in Manila.  As a treaty ally, our partnership with the Philippines is critical for realizing our shared vision for a free and open Indo-Pacific, with thriving sovereign nations.  A strong U.S.-Philippines alliance deters aggression and promotes regional stability, and we welcome enhanced defense cooperation with the Philippines.  I look forward to continued coordination in the coming months to determine steps we can take to improve our combined defense posture.

As Secretary Pompeo said during his visit to Manila earlier this year, where America goes, we seek partnership, not domination.  We are committed to continuing our partnership with the Philippines to fight ISIS and other terrorist groups, as well as to counter violent extremism.  We will also continue to work with the Philippines to fully implement all UN Security Council resolutions and for continued diplomacy with North Korea to achieve the goals President Trump and Chairman Kim set out in their Singapore summit, including transformed relations, building lasting peace, and complete denuclearization.  As a claimant state in the South China Sea, the Philippines is well-positioned to ensure that the ASEAN code of conduct text is fully consistent with international law, protecting the freedom of navigation and overflight and other lawful uses of the sea for all countries, as well as the rights of claimant states to pursue security and development arrangements with partners of their choosing.

We must also enhance our economic cooperation.  We welcome progress on legislation which could provide more opportunities for U.S. companies, especially in infrastructure, as part of the Build, Build, Build program.  We look forward to building on strong momentum in areas such as energy, trade, intellectual property, and science and technology.

Both of our countries face the challenge of illicit drug use.  We remain committed to working together on evidence-based approaches to reducing drug demand by improving prevention, treatment, and rehabilitation services.  I want to continue sharing information and best practices to jointly combat this common challenge in a manner that will respect human rights and the rule of law.

I am proud of our continued commitment to enhancing people-to-people ties.  The bonds between our nations forged out of cultural and educational exchanges are abiding and fortify our relationship as friends, partners, and allies.

I am thrilled to have included the Philippines in my first overseas trip as Assistant Secretary.  I look forward to working closely with my counterparts here in Manila, and with Ambassador Romualdez in Washington.

Manila, July 12, 2019 — The United States and the Republic of the Philippines will hold the eighth Bilateral Strategic Dialogue (BSD) July 15-16, 2019 in Manila.  The BSD brings together senior leaders to discuss cooperation on defense, economics, rule of law, and regional diplomacy between the United States and the Philippines.  U.S. Ambassador to the Philippines Sung Y. Kim will join U.S. delegation co-chairs Assistant Secretary of State for East Asian and Pacific Affairs David R. Stilwell and Assistant Secretary of Defense for Indo-Pacific Security Affairs Randall G. Schriver in robust discussions regarding our work across the broad spectrum of U.S.-Philippines cooperation.

In addition to Ambassador Kim and Assistant Secretaries Stilwell and Schriver, the U.S. delegation will include Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense for South and Southeast Asia Joseph H. Felter, Deputy Assistant Secretary of State for Economic and Business Affairs Hugo Yon, Deputy Assistant Secretary of State for International Narcotics and Law Enforcement Affairs Jorgan K. Andrews, and Acting Deputy Assistant Secretary of State for Southeast Asia Mark D. Clark.

This is Assistant Secretary Stilwell’s first trip to the region since becoming Assistant Secretary of State for East Asian and Pacific Affairs last month.  Prior to his appointment as Assistant Secretary, he served in the Air Force for 35 years, beginning as an enlisted Korean linguist in 1980, and retiring in 2015 with the rank of Brigadier General as the Asia advisor to the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs.

Assistant Secretary Schriver was appointed in January 2018 and previously served as Chief of Staff and Senior Policy Advisor to then Deputy Secretary of State Richard Armitage from 2001-2003 and as Deputy Assistant Secretary of State for East Asian and Pacific Affairs from 2003 to 2005.

The previous BSD was held in Washington, D.C. from November 30 to December 1, 2017.  The last BSD to be held in Manila took place in January 2015.