Pool Reports of April 11, 2024

In Town Pool Report #1 - Lunch Lid

Good afternoon,

The White House has called a lunch lid until 1:15 pm.

In Town Pool Report #2 - WH Briefing to start at 1:45

From the WH:

The press briefing will now begin at 1:45 PM.

In town pool report #3 — two minute warning

The WH issued a 2-minute warning for the press briefing at 2:01 pm

In town pool report #4 — pool gathering for the pool spray

[APP Note: No additional text was included in this report.]

In town pool report #5 — wh background.

From the wh.

The President is meeting with President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. of the Republic of the Philippines.

U.S.
T.H. Antony Blinken, Secretary of State
T.H. Jake Sullivan, Assistant to the President for National Security Affairs
T.H. MaryKay Carlson, Ambassador of the United States to the Philippines
T.H. Mira Rapp-Hooper, Special Assistant to the President and Senior Director for East Asia and Oceania, National Security Council

Philippines
T.H. Enrique A. Manalo, Secretary of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of the Philippines
T.H. Jose Manuel G. Romualdez, Ambassador of the Philippines to the United States
T.H. Eduardo M. Año, National Security Adviser
Ms. Maria Theresa P. Lazaro, Undersecretary, Department of Foreign Affairs

In town pool report # 6 — Pool missed the pool spray

First the bad news:

The White House held most of the press in the lower hallway in the East Wing even as the pool spray at the Trilateral meeting got under way. As a result your pooler and most of the American and Philippine reporters were not taken into the East Room until after POTUS had concluded speaking. President Marcos was concluding his remarks as the press was finally allowed into the room.

Prime Minister Kishida said that "multi-layered cooperation is essential" and that "today's meeting will make history."

After the prime minister spoke, POTUS said "when we stand as one we are able to force a better peace for all" and then invited the press to leave the room.

Your pooler is trying to find out whether there is a transcript that we can read / listen to. If I can find that, I will forward any significant news or quote from POTUS.

It's not clear whether the spray was broadcast on Whitehouse.gov

From the WH:

The President is participating in a trilateral meeting with President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. of the Republic of the Philippines and Prime Minister Kishida Fumio of Japan.

U.S.
The Vice President
T.H. Antony Blinken, Secretary of State
T.H. Lloyd Austin, Secretary of Defense
T.H. Gina Raimondo, Secretary of Commerce
T.H. Jake Sullivan, Assistant to the President for National Security Affairs
T.H. Phil Gordon, Assistant to the President and National Security Advisor to the Vice President
T.H. Kurt Campbell, Deputy Secretary of State
T.H. Daniel Kritenbrink, Assistant Secretary of State for East Asian and Pacific Affairs
T.H. Mira Rapp-Hooper, Special Assistant to the President and Senior Director for East Asia and Oceania, National Security Council
T.H. Rahm Emanuel, Ambassador of the United States to Japan
T.H. MaryKay Carlson, Ambassador of the United States to the Philippines
Mr. Peter Lohman, Director for Southeast Asia, National Security Council
Mr. Josh Rubin, Director for Indo-Pacific Strategy

Philippines
T.H. Enrique A. Manalo, Secretary of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of the Philippines
T.H. Jose Manuel G. Romualdez, Ambassador of the Philippines to the United States
T.H. Gilberto C. Teodoro Jr., Secretary of National Defense
T.H. Alfredo E. Pascual, Secretary of Trade and Industry
T.H. Raphael Perpetuo M. Lotilla, Secretary of Energy
T.H. Cheloy Velicaria-Garafil, Secretary of Presidential Communications Office
T.H. Eduardo M. Año, National Security Adviser
T.H. Antonio Ernesto F. Lagdameo Jr., Special Assistant to the President
Ms. Maria Theresa P. Lazaro, Undersecretary, Department of Foreign Affairs
T.H. Mylene J. Garcia-Albano, Ambassador of the Philippines to Japan

Japan
H.E. Kamikawa Yoko, Minister for Foreign Affairs
H.E. Saito Ken, Minister of Economy, Trade and Industry
Mr. Murai Hideki, Deputy Chief Cabinet Secretary
Mr. Akiba Takeo, National Security Advisor
H.E. Yamada Shigeo, Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of Japan to the United States
Mr. Shimada Takashi, Executive Secretary to the Prime Minister
Mr. Otsuru Tetsuya, Executive Secretary to the Prime Minister (Chief of Protocol-role)
Mr. Funakoshi Takehiro, Senior Deputy Minister for Foreign Affairs
Mr. Serizawa Kiyoshi, Vice-Minister of Defense for International Affairs, Ministry of Defense
Mr. Nakamura Ryo, Director-General, Southeast and Southwest Asian Affairs Department

In town pool report #7 - more quotes from trilateral spray

The White House provided your pool with an audio recording of the spray.

Here are some quotes from POTUS (though check against transcript when it comes)

POTUS called the meeting a "new era of a partnership" and said "a great deal of history in our world will be written in the indo pacific in the coming years."

POTUS said that as "steadfast partners" the three nations "commit to writing that story in the future together, to building an Indo-pacific that is free, open, prosperous and secure for all."

POTUS talked about "deepening our maritime and security ties" and said that "I want to be clear the United States defense commitments to Japan and to the Philippines are ironclad. They are ironclad. Any attack on Philippine aircraft, vessels, or armed forces in the South China Sea would invoke our mutual defense treaty."

POTUS also mentioned work on climate, clean energy, technology and a new economic corridor in the Philippines as evidence that they are poised to work together.

Audio is attached. If you have trouble playing it, let me know.

In Town Pool Report #8 — one small correction.

One small correction.

The POYUS quote in Pool Report #6 should be:

"when we stand as one we are able to FORGE [not force] a better peace for all"

I regret the error.

Foreign Pool Report #1: Bilat/Trilat Background

Good afternoon, Mabuhay, and Konnichiwa.

I am Scott Stewart of the Japanese newspaper Sankei Shimbun and I will be serving as your Foreign Pool reporter for President Biden's bilateral meeting with Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos, Jr., followed by his trilateral meeting with President Marcos and Prime Minister Kishida.

Because my able colleague Taka Abe of Nippon TV provided you with everything you needed to know about the U.S.-Japan aspects yesterday, I will try to provide a bit of background on President Marcos's visit that may be useful.

President Ferdinand R. Marcos, Jr., 66 years old, was elected as the 17th President of the Republic of the Philippines on June 30, 2022. His late father, Ferdinand E. Marcos, served as president for just over 20 years until he abdicated and left for exile in Hawaii on February 25, 1986 as a result of the People Power Revolution. It was during his father's administration that the younger Marcos made his first visit to the White House, accompanying his parents on a State Visit to President and Mrs. Reagan on September 16, 1982.

"Bongbong", as he is widely known, first met with President Biden in New York on September 22, 2022, and made his first visit to the White House as president on May 1, 2023.

President Marcos has met with Vice President Kamala Harris five times since taking office, most recently on the margins of the APEC Summit in San Francisco on November 15, 2023.

Though today will mark the first U.S.-Japan-Philippines summit meeting, Prime Minister Kishida and President Marcos have held a trilateral meeting with Vice President Harris on the sidelines of the ASEAN Summit in Jakarta, Indonesia on September 6, 2023.

The U.S.-Philippines Bilateral Summit

A Senior Administration Official told reporters last night that, "when President Biden and President Marcos will meet tomorrow, they will discuss initiatives to enhance economic and energy security, bolster maritime cooperation, invest in critical infrastructure, and deepen people-to-people ties. President Biden will also reinforce US alliance commitments to the Philippines. And the two leaders will also discuss their shared commitment to democratic values, including respect for human rights and internationally recognized labor rights."

Bilateral Deliverables:

One SAO said that we can expect to see "several US companies announcing new investments in the Philippines tomorrow, including areas in undersea cable, logistics, clean energy, and also telecommunications." In the area of humanitarian assistance and disaster response, "over the next year you'll see USAID, in partnership with DoD, launching a new initiative to preposition humanitarian relief commodities for Philippine civilian disaster response authorities at Enhanced Defense Cooperation Agreement (EDCA) sites".

Another SAO went on to say that announcements will be made today regarding private sector investment in the Philippines by companies such as Meta, UPS, Green Buyer energy, and Astranis telecommunication satellites.

The U.S.-Philippines-Japan Trilateral Summit

Prior to President Marcos's trip to Washington, a spokesman for the Department of Foreign Affairs said on April 5th it is expected the trilateral summit will result in a joint vision statement, "which is intended to be a forward-looking document that does not only identify common principles that guide the trilateral partnership, but also provide complete areas and projects for cooperation."

Speaking at CNAS on April 3rd, Deputy Secretary of State Kurt Campbell said, "there will be an unprecedented trilateral engagement between the three nations. Again, I don't want to get ahead of ourselves, but I think it is fair to say that you will see commitments on all three nations that involve closer coordination and engagement in the South China Sea and elsewhere".

Jake Sullivan said in Tuesday's White House press briefing that the U.S.-Japan-Philippines trilateral summit grew out of a meeting he joined in Tokyo with his counterparts last June, in which they agreed to enhance the partnership of these three maritime democracies. As to expected deliverables, he said, "the three leaders will announce new initiatives to enhance energy security, economic and maritime cooperation, partnerships on technology and cybersecurity and joint investments in critical infrastructure."

Also on Tuesday, at a Foreign Press Center briefing, NSC Senior Director for East Asia and Oceania Dr. Mira Rapp-Hooper said, "As Indo-Pacific nations, the US, Japan, and the Philippines share a joint vision for the future of the region and with this first-ever leader-level trilateral summit, we are continuing to innovate the groupings with whom we're working closely, adding to the fit-for-purpose latticework that we are using throughout the Indo-Pacific...On Thursday, our leaders will announce new initiatives to enhance energy security, economic and maritime cooperation, partnerships on technology and cybersecurity, and some considerable joint investments in major infrastructure areas. Our three countries will embark on this new era of trilateral cooperation as equal partners guided by a shared vision and unwavering commitment to a free, open, peaceful and prosperous Indo-Pacific."

The Marcos-Kishida Relationship

President Marcos last met with Prime Minister Kishida on December 17, 2023 in Tokyo when Marcos joined an ASEAN-Japan summit meeting there. At the meeting, the two leaders were present for the signing of a Memorandum of Cooperation between Japan Coast Guard and the Philippine Coast Guard aimed at "further strengthening cooperation in maritime safety capacity building".

The Marcos visit came just one month after Kishida visited the Philippines on November 3rd and announced that Japan would be providing $4 million in coastal surveillance radars for the Philippine Navy to improve domain awareness. Japan also announced that it would finance five Multi-Role Response Vessels to the Philippines Coast Guard, in addition to the 12 already delivered. Later that month, on November 29th, the two governments began talks for a Reciprocal Access Agreement, which would facilitate each country's defense forces' joint training. In their December 17th meeting, President Marcos said he and Prime Minister Kishida agreed that the RAA should be finalized "as soon as possible, yesterday, if not sooner". As of yet, however, no announcement has been made in this regard.

Trilateral Deliverables

Among the deliverables discussed by Senior Administration Officials yesterday were:

* The PGI Luzon Corridor, the first Partnership for Global Infrastructure and Investment Corridor in the Indo-Pacific since the PGI was launched at the 2023 G20 Summit in New Delhi. This corridor will connect Subic Bay, Clark, Manila, and Batangas in the Philippines "to accelerate coordinated investment in high impact infrastructure projects, including ports, rail, clean energy, semiconductor supply chains, and other forms of connectivity in the Philippines". Subic Bay was once the location of a major U.S. Navy base, while Clark hosted a U.S. Air Force Base. Both were closed in 1991.

* Open Radio Access Network (O-RAN) field trials funded by the US and Japanese governments and industry and the support of an Asia O-RAN Academy in Manila to enable future commercial deployment of this technology.

* Trilateral partnering to deploy secure, trusted Information and Communications Technology (ICT) in the Philippines.

* Announcements regarding Coast Guard cooperation, cooperation in humanitarian assistance and disaster relief (HADR), and in military cooperation and capacity building.

China's Response to the Trilateral

In response to a question as to whether the trilateral summit with the U.S. and Japan would be "poking the bear," Philippine Department of Foreign Affairs official Hans Mohaimin L. Siriban said on April 5 that the visit is not directed at any particular country. He went on to say President Marcos's visit to the US is focused on economic cooperation.

When asked about the expected strengthening of defense ties between the United States, Japan and the Philippines resulting from this summit, China's Foreign Ministry spokesperson said on Monday, "Defense cooperation between any countries should be conducive to regional peace and stability. We oppose cobbling together exclusive groupings and stoking bloc confrontation in the region."

On this subject, Jake Sullivan said on Tuesday, "The President has said that his alliances are not designed against, they're designed for; they're designed for a free and open Indo Pacific, for peace and stability in the Indo Pacific, and frankly, the American alliance system has helped bring peace and stability to the Indo- Pacific for decades."

The South China Sea and Second Thomas Shoal

The ongoing dispute between Manila and Beijing over the Second Thomas Shoal in the South China Sea (or the West Philippine Sea, the term used by the Philippines government) has come into greater focus as a result of China's increased pressure tactics, including the use of water cannons on a Philippine ship attempting to resupply the intentionally grounded Philippine Navy ship, BRP Sierra Madre as recently as March 23rd.

After three Philippine Navy personnel were injured in the March 23rd incident, President Marcos said, "We seek no conflict with any nation, more so nations that purport and claim to be our friends, but we will not be cowed into silence, submission or subservience. Filipinos do not yield."

Dr. Mira Rapp-Hooper said in an FPC Briefing on April 9, "the United States and President Biden, in particular, have been consistent and clear for the entirety of this administration that the US-Philippines mutual defense treaty applies in the South China Sea including to Philippine vessels underway, including coast guard vessels, and including in the South China Sea...The US-Philippine mutual defense treaty applies to the Philippines in the South China Sea, again to vessels underway, including coast guard vessels. We stand strongly by our alliance commitments to the Philippines and that is one of the things we will be talking to President Marcos about when he is in town. Of course, this trilateral meeting comes at a very important time as the Philippines has found themselves under increasing pressure from the PRC in the South China Sea. This should, of course, be taken as a sign that not only President Biden, but Prime Minister Kishida wish to show their support and resolve for President Marcos and his handling of this incredibly difficult issue. I think what you will see is a strong showing of support and solidarity amongst our three leaders for our common vision of a South China Sea that is governed by international law."

In yesterday's background briefing, the Senior Administration Official said, "We absolutely expect the South China Sea to come up in tomorrow's trilateral meeting. It is one of the reasons for the meeting because we are very concerned about what we have been seeing...You will also see in our trilateral joint statement some very strong language on our unity on the South China Sea and that language will make very clear that we have a combined position that supports the Philippines' lawful operations and rights in the South China Sea and, in particular in its own Exclusive Economic Zone. So we will be quite unified in that position."

Foreign Pool Report #2: Marcos Arrival

President Marcos's motorcade arrived at the NW Gate at 3:17 PM amid chants of "Marcos is Not Welcome Here; The Philippines is Not for Sale" from protestors in Lafayette Park. His black SUV with the flags of the United States and the Philippines brought him to the West Wing portico, avoiding the light rain that was falling.

Foreign Pool Report #3: Trilateral Pool Spray

The pool entered the East Room at 4:25 PM and could hear President Marcos speaking. The leaders were seated at three separate tables with members of their delegations, the visiting leaders' tables perpendicular to that of President Biden. POTUS sat with his back to the wall where the Washington portraits hang. President Marcos sat to Biden's right, Kishida across from Marcos and to Biden's left. Marcos spoke in English, followed by Biden, and Kishida in Japanese, before President Biden signaled that it was time for the press to leave at 4:27 PM.

Thanks to Peter Gold of Fuji Television sharing his recording, I am able to provide the complete remarks of President Marcos and Prime Minister Kishida.

Marcos:

"Thank you very much, Mr. President. And once again, allow me to thank you for hosting us, Prime Minister Kishida and myself in the White House for this very important agreement which we are going to formalize today. We meet today as friends and partners bound by a shared vision and pursuit of a peaceful, stable, and prosperous Indo-Pacific. It is a partnership born not out of convenience, nor of expediency, but as a natural progression of a deepening relation and robust cooperation amongst our three countries, linked by a profound respect for democracy, good governance and the rule of law. Today's historic summit is a culmination of several preparatory engagements between our foreign ministries, our national 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 as we deepen our ties and enhance our coordination. We seek to identify ways of growing our economies and making them more resilient, climate-proofing our cities and our societies, sustaining our development progress and forging a peaceful world for the next generation. Today's summit is an opportunity to define the future that we want and how we intend to achieve it together. Thank you, and I wish us all a successful meeting."

Kishida:

"I very much appreciate that we are having the first ever Japan-US-Philippines summit and I would like to extend my deep gratitude to President Biden for your leadership. And President Marcos, we met last year in December and what a pleasure it is to see you once again. In the midst of compound crisis faced by the global community, multi-layered cooperation between allies and like-minded countries is essential if we are to maintain and bolster a free and open international order based on the rule of law. Today's meeting will make history as an occasion that significantly pushed forward such initiative. Japan, the US, and the Philippines are maritime nations connected by the Pacific Ocean and our natural partners. We share fundamental values and principles and have supported regional economic development. In order to secure peace and prosperity in the Indo-Pacific, I hope to reaffirm our intention to further strengthen trilateral cooperation and to present the specific way forward through today's meeting. Thank you".

Please do check against the transcript.