A cooperation agreement by the Philippines, the United States and Japan will change the dynamic in the South China Sea and the region, Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. said on Friday, while seeking to assure China it was not a target.
The three leaders expressed "serious concerns" about China's "dangerous and aggressive behavior" in the South China Sea, a conduit for more than $3 trillion of annual ship-borne commerce with various maritime disputes among China and other countries.
Still, Marcos said the summit was "not against any country" but had focused on deepening economic and security relations among Manila, Washington and Tokyo.
China claims almost the entire South China Sea despite a 2016 ruling by the Permanent Court of Arbitration found Beijing's sweeping claims had no legal basis.
