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Washington, D.C. – Today, House Foreign Affairs Committee Chairman Michael McCaul (R-TX), Ranking Member Gregory W. Meeks (D-NY), along with Subcommittee on the Indo-Pacific Chairwoman Young Kim (R-CA) and Ranking Member Ami Bera (D-CA) issued the following statement to welcome Philippine President Bongbong Marcos to the United States for the U.S.-Japan-Philippines trilateral summit. 

“We welcome President Marcos to Washington D.C. for the inaugural U.S.-Philippines-Japan Trilateral Summit, aimed at advancing a free and open Indo-Pacific. As the Chinese Coast Guard and Maritime Militia continue to harass and obstruct Philippine vessels in the South China Sea, it is imperative that we uphold freedom of navigation and the rule of law on the seas. We condemn Beijing’s increasingly provocative behavior, including the use of water cannons, lasers, and ramming against Philippine vessels, and reaffirm our commitment to upholding the U.S.-Philippines Mutual Defense Treaty.”

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