Philippine Secretary of Foreign Affairs Enrique A. Manalo and U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio met Monday in Washington, D.C., to reaffirm the importance of the U.S.-Philippines alliance in maintaining a free and open Indo-Pacific region.

During the meeting, the two officials pledged to deepen cooperation on addressing China’s destabilizing actions in the South China Sea and to enhance economic collaboration for the benefit of both American and Philippine citizens.

They also agreed to explore new opportunities for regional cooperation with allies and partners, including trilateral initiatives with Japan through the Luzon Economic Corridor.