TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — The U.S. and the Philippines stressed the importance of maintaining peace and stability in the Taiwan Strait in a joint statement published on Tuesday (April 11).

U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken and Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin and Philippines Secretary of Foreign Affairs Enrique Manalo and Senior Undersecretary and Officer in Charge (OIC) of National Defense Carlito G. Galvez held the third U.S. Philippines 2+2 Ministerial Dialogue in Washington, D.C. on Tuesday, where they described “the Taiwan Strait as an indispensable element of global security and prosperity.”

The secretaries objected to the unlawful maritime claims, militarization, and provocative activities in the South China Sea and called out China’s belligerence in the area. They called on China to fully abide by the 2016 Arbitral Award on the South China Sea, which is legally binding.

They also reaffirmed their shared resolve to defend against an “external armed attack in the Pacific,” and renewed their commitment to modernizing the U.S.-Philippines alliance cooperation.

The secretaries agreed to expand information-sharing concerning “principal challenges confronting the U.S.-Philippine alliance” and agreed to conduct joint maritime activities, including sailing the region with other like-minded partners in the South China Sea.

The U.S. and Philippines recently kicked off the 2023 Balikatan military exercise, which is the largest-ever iteration, involving more than 17,000 troops. The exercise follows China’s three-day “United Sword” drills around Taiwan.