Senior government officials from Japan, the Philippines, and the United States recently convened an informal trilateral discussion in Manila on countering economic coercion and promoting economic resilience.

The discussion held on 25 October aims to strengthen close coordination to address economic coercion and build economic resilience based on “the Joint Vision Statement from the Leaders of Japan, the Philippines, and the United States” issued at the first Japan-US-Philippines Summit this April.

The three countries also affirmed cooperation on raising awareness of this issue among the international community and enhancing their resilience and ability to respond to potential economic coercion.

The discussion was co-chaired by Corazon Halili-Dichosa, Executive Director, Industry Department Services, Board of Investments of the Republic of the Philippines. The U.S. delegation, led by  Jonathan Fritz, Chief of Staff in the Office of the Under Secretary for Economic Growth, Energy, and the Environment, in the Department of State of the United States, and the Japanese delegation, led by Mochizuki Chihiro, Director for Economic Security Policy, in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Japan, attended the meeting.