The United States, Japan, and the Philippines plan to increase their joint naval training and exercises.

Manila will soon receive support for its defense modernization initiative.

Based on the Joint Vision Statement released on Thursday (US time), both the US and Japan committed boosting the defense modernization program in the Philippines amid China's "dangerous and coercive use of Coast Guard and maritime militia vessels in the South China Sea."

“We resolve to advance trilateral defense cooperation, including through combined naval training and exercises between our three countries and additional partners,“ the statement read.

“Within the next year, our coast guards also plan to conduct an at-sea trilateral exercise and other maritime activities in the Indo-Pacific to improve interoperability and advance maritime security and safety,” it said.

Planned initiatives include training with Southeast Asian partners and a Japan-Philippines-US humanitarian response exercise. These exercises could be integrated into trilateral or multilateral activities, such as Balikatan 2025, to ensure preparedness and collaboration during crises.

The countries also want to have maritime training activities in Japan this 2025 after last week's multilateral maritime cooperative action (MMCA) in the West Philippine Sea.

Manila, Tokyo, and Washington said they would also set up a "trilateral maritime dialogue" to improve cooperation and planning in the maritime area.

“To build regional capacity and address threats posed by transnational crime, illegal, unreported, and unregulated fishing, and other maritime challenges, Japan, the Philippines, and the United States plan to expand our efforts to provide maritime law enforcement training and support to partner countries in the region,” the statement read.

Their plans came just a few weeks after the China Coast Guard water cannoned a Philippine resupply ship on its way to the Ayungin Shoal on 23 March, where the Philippines had to bring supplies to the BRP Sierra Madre, a dilapidated Navy ship that had run aground that served as the Philippines' outpost in the area.