Today we mark historic moments, the first ever leaders Summit
between the United States,
Japan and the Philippines.
And it's truly an honor to have you both here
as we begin this new era of partnership.
And I want to be clear,
the United States, the United States defense commitments to Japan
and to the Philippines are ironclad.
They're ironclad, as I said before.
Any attack on Philippine aircraft,
vessels or armed forces in the South China Sea would
invoke our mutual defense treaty.
Today's historic summit is a culmination of several preparatory engagements
between our foreign ministries.
Security advisors and our vice ministers,
as well as the conduct of trilateral maritime exercises and
joint development cooperation.
But this meeting can be just a beginning.
Facing the complex challenges of our time requires concerted efforts
on everyone's part,
a dedication to a common purpose and an unwavering commitment
to the rules based international order.
This is a meeting that looks ahead.