Biden, Kishida and Marcos make common cause against China

Tensions have risen between Beijing and Manila over the Chinese coast guard’s attempts to stop the resupplying of a Philippine navy ship grounded at the shoal, including by firing water cannon at supply ships. The pointed mentions of China as an aggressor echoed those made when the US and Japan announced the most significant upgrade to their security alliance on April 10. “This will be seen by some as an escalation of tensions in terms of the defence calculations of all these states,” said Prof Joseph Chinyong Liow, the Tan Kah Kee chair in comparative and international politics at Singapore’s NTU. “(It) makes the need for mechanisms to manage defence relations even more urgent,” he added. “It should also be noted that Japanese activism is taking place against the backdrop of a high degree of trust that the region has towards Tokyo,” said NTU’s Prof Liow, making a reference to the 2024 ISEAS – Yusof Ishak Institute survey that named Japan as the most trusted nation in the region. 

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