Philippines and US commit to peace in Taiwan Strait

WASHINGTON (TVBS News) — The 11th Philippines-United States Bilateral Strategic Dialogue (BSD) concluded in Washington D.C., with a joint statement emphasizing the importance of peace and stability in the Taiwan Strait.

Both nations strongly opposed using force that infringes on any country's territorial integrity or political independence.

The two countries urged Beijing to respect the South China Sea Arbitration and cease actions that violate the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea. The BSD, held from April 22 to 23, saw high-ranking officials from the Philippines and the United States discussing current challenges and strategic priorities.

The U.S. and the Philippines are committed to promoting a free, secure, and open Indo-Pacific region based on international law, protecting principles such as territorial integrity, sovereignty, and jurisdiction. They also plan to expand their cooperation, including holding the first bilateral dialogue on digital networks, space, and democracy, and deepening collaboration to combat foreign information manipulation.

The two countries had proposed signing the General Security of Military Information Agreement (GSOMIA) in 2015 to strengthen information-sharing cooperation, but progress has been slow. The statement following the 11th Philippines-United States BSD set a clear timeline, aiming to sign the agreement by the end of this year.