Emerging NATO in the east?
The first-ever trilateral alliance involving the United States, Japan and the Philippines launched in 2024. The trilateral summit hosted by US President Joe Biden was driven by strategic imperatives that underscore its pivotal role in realizing the US Indo-Pacific or Pivot to Asia strategy. For Japan, the trilateral pact is an opportunity to enhance its security role within the confines of its pacifist constitution. Meanwhile, the Philippines seeks to counterbalance Chinas territorial and maritime claims in the South China Sea.