SECRETARY CLINTON: Good afternoon. It is such a pleasure for me to
welcome our colleagues from the Philippines, Secretary del Rosario and
Secretary Gazmin. And I am always happy to welcome my longtime friend
and colleague, Secretary Panetta.
Today we held the first ever 2+2 meeting between the United States
and the Philippines, a testament to our shared commitment to write a new
chapter in the partnership between our two countries. With the growing
security and economic importance of the Asia Pacific, the United States
is actively working to strengthen our alliances, build new partnerships,
and engage more systematically in the region’s multilateral
institutions.
At the heart of this strategy is our effort to deepen and broaden our
alliance with our friend and treaty ally, the Philippines. This
alliance is rooted not just in a deep history of shared democratic
values but in a wide range of mutual concerns. And today we had a chance
to cover a number of them.
First we discussed our bilateral military cooperation. Our alliance
has helped keep both of our countries secure for more than 60 years, and
it has been a bulwark of peace and stability in Asia. Today the United
States reaffirms our commitment and obligations under the mutual defense
treaty.
We also discussed steps we are taking to ensure that our countries
are fully capable of addressing both the challenges and the
opportunities posed in the region in the 21
st century. We
need to continue working together to counter violent extremism, to work
on addressing natural disasters, maritime security, and transnational
crime.
We also discussed the evolving regional security situation. We both
share deep concerns about the developments on the Korean Peninsula and
events in the South China Sea, including recent tensions surrounding the
Scarborough Shoal. In this context, the United States has been clear
and consistent. While we do not take sides on the competing sovereignty
claims to land features in the South China Sea, as a Pacific power we
have a national interest in freedom of navigation, the maintenance of
peace and stability, respect for international law, and the unimpeded,
lawful commerce across our sea lanes. The United States supports a
collaborative diplomatic process by all those involved for resolving the
various disputes that they encounter. We oppose the threat or use of
force by any party to advance its claims. And we will remain in close
contact with our ally, the Philippines. I look forward to continuing to
work closely with the foreign secretary as we approach the ASEAN
Regional Forum in July.
Finally, we discussed the maturing economic relationship between our
countries as well as our shared commitment to enhanced development,
trade, and investment. We would like to see the Philippines join the
Trans Pacific Partnership trade community. The foreign secretary raised
the Philippines’ interest in seeking passage of the Save our Industries
Act, and we have conveyed that message to the United States Congress.
And of course, I complimented the Philippines and the Aquino government
on the progress with our Partnership for Growth and the Millennium
Challenge Corporation Compact.
So once again, colleagues and friends, we appreciate your
participating in this first ever 2+2, and we look forward to our future
cooperation.
Secretary del Rosario.
SECRETARY DEL ROSARIO: Thank you very much, Madam Secretary. I
am honored to be here. Today marks a milestone in the alliance and
strategic partnership of the Philippines and the United States. For the
first time, we held our 2+2 consultations at the ministerial level. Our
consultations were timely. Discussions on key issues of common interest
to us were conducted within the context of our respective domestic
concerns as well as the challenges and opportunities which coexist in
the Asia Pacific region. The 2+2 consultations paved the way for us to
revisit the bilateral engagement between the Philippines and the United
States. It opened an avenue for us to consider ways of fine-tuning our
relations as we adapt to changing circumstances both in our region and
the world at large. Thus, the focal points of our consultations were how
best to keep our alliance relevant and responsive to each other’s
needs.
We reaffirmed our shared obligations under our mutual defense treaty
and underscored the necessity of ensuring that our alliance remains
robust, agile, and responsive. We committed to jointly explore
modalities by which the President could build a minimum credible defense
posture and agreed to prioritize high-value and high-impact joint
military exercises and training to meet our common objectives, including
maritime security.
Moreover, we reaffirmed our common interest in maintaining freedom of
navigation, unimpeded lawful commerce and transit of peoples, as well
as a rules-based multilateral, peaceful approach in resolving competing
claims in maritime areas within the framework of international law,
including UNCLOS.
In the field of economic and development cooperation, we agreed to
accelerate the implementation of the Partnership for Growth, which aims
to establish an inclusive growth path for the Philippines as well as the
Millennium Challenge Compact to reduce poverty in our country.
The Philippines and the United States shall endeavor to increase
bilateral trade and investment as well as tourism exchanges. We agreed
to continue discussions on Philippine interest to eventually join the
Trans Pacific Partnership Agreement. In the area of good governance, we
shall promote the establishment of a national justice information system
for the Philippines. We will also work to sustain our partnership in
combating human trafficking.
In the multilateral arena, we both expressed support for efforts to
increase cooperation in the ASEAN, in APEC, and in the East Asia Summit.
Beyond doubt, the combined action of the Philippines and the U.S. in
promoting converting interests and shared objectives would propel our
alliance and strategic partnership towards a higher trajectory at a
faster velocity.
Our just-concluded 2+2 consultations is the latest impetus in sustaining this positive momentum. Thank you very much.
SECRETARY CLINTON: Thank you. Secretary Panetta.
SECRETARY PANETTA: Good afternoon. I’d like to join Secretary
Clinton in saying what a great pleasure it was to host Secretary del
Rosario and Secretary Gazmin for one of the first 2 by 2 meetings here
in Washington with the Philippines. I look forward to hosting Secretary
Gazmin for dinner at the Pentagon this evening.
We had a very successful meeting today with our Filipino
counterparts, and we discussed a number of ways our governments can work
more closely together to strengthen the importance alliance that we
have to deepen our engagements and to find shared solutions to the joint
security goals that we share.
Our two nations have forged deep and abiding ties through shared
sacrifice and common purpose. Seventy years ago this month, American and
Filipino soldiers fought and bled together shoulder to shoulder during
the opening battles of World War II at Corregidor and Bataan. Through
dark days, and many of those dark days fought together, our forces
joined again in 1944 to begin the hard-fought battle to liberate the
Philippines. We honor that legacy with our renewed commitment to this
U.S.-Philippine alliance.
Ours is an alliance and a friendship built on historic ties, common
democratic values, and a shared desire to provide our two peoples a
prosperous and more secure future. I want to emphasize how deeply the
U.S. values this great partnership and the importance of the Mutual
Defense Treaty that remains the cornerstone of our security
relationship. Working together, our forces successfully are countering
terrorist groups in the southern Philippines. We are improving the
Philippines maritime presence and capabilities with the transfer of a
second high-endurance cutter this year. We are working to expand and
improve joint ISR programs and our ability to counter cyber attacks. And
I’m pleased to see the close cooperation being built between our forces
through training and exercises such as the recently completed exercise
Balikatan in 2012.
The new U.S. defense strategy that we rolled out earlier this year
recognized that one of the important regions of the world that we must
focus on and that America’s future security depends on is the Asia
Pacific region. As a resident Pacific power, the United States is
committed to a rule-based regional order that promotes viable and
vibrant trade and the freedom of navigation. We are enhancing our
defense cooperation and expanding security partnerships throughout the
region in order to sustain peace and stability, and we are committed to
continuing our robust, stabilizing presence in that region.
I look forward to sitting down later today with Secretary Gazmin to
discuss, among other things, how we can deepen our engagement in ways
that enhance this very important alliance and that promote our common
vision of regional security in a very important Asia Pacific region.
Thank you.
SECRETARY CLINTON: Secretary Gazmin.
SECRETARY GAZMIN: Good afternoon. Today’s meeting was a
manifestation of the mutual desire of the Philippines and the U.S. to
further deepen our strategic partnership. After watching our alliance
endure through the years, we deem it crucial to prepare for the security
challenges of today and tomorrow.
This is why we decided to hold the first 2+2 meeting, to be able to
exchange views on how to formulate adoptive and responsive strategic
policies. We have reached a critical juncture in our alliance, where our
concerns in both traditional and nontraditional aspects of our security
have become much more intertwined. While we are sustaining the gains
for successful efforts in various areas of cooperation, we need to
intensify our mutual trust to uphold maritime security and the freedom
of navigation and thereby contribute to the peace and stability of the
region.
Meanwhile, the effects of natural disasters have become too disastrous
and thus necessitate greater cooperation for expedient and effective
response. We look forward to working together and consult one another on
how to improve the capability to uphold maritime security and
institutionalize efficient humanitarian assistance and disaster
response.
Keeping these two objectives in mind, we look forward in working as
reliable allies that contribute to the peace and stability in the
region. We are also mindful that our efforts to further our alliance
need to be in full consideration of our respective national laws and
political context.
Thank you and good afternoon.
SECRETARY CLINTON: Thank you.
MS. NULAND: We’ll take two from each side today. We’ll start with NBC, Andrea Mitchell.
QUESTION: Thank you very much. Madam Secretary, thank you. I
know you can’t get into the specifics of the Chen Guangcheng case, but
the whole world is watching. And already Mitt Romney has said that any
serious U.S. policy towards China has to confront the facts of the lack
of political freedoms and other human rights abuses. So can we be sure
that your interests, America’s interests in these talks in strategic
issues such as Iran and Syria and North Korea and trade will not take
precedence over human rights? And what are your concerns about all the
activists who have now gone missing and the fate of Mr. Chen’s family?
SECRETARY CLINTON: Well, Andrea, I look forward to traveling
to China this evening. We will be going to Beijing for the Strategic and
Economic Dialogue. We have a full range of issues that covers all of
the political and economic matters that are of concern to our nations
and our people. I’m not going to address the specific case at this time,
but I just want to put it in a broader context.
The U.S.-China relationship is important. It’s important not only to
President Obama and me, but it’s important to the people of the United
States and the world, and we’ve worked hard to build an effective,
constructive, comprehensive relationship that allows us to find ways to
work together. Now a constructive relationship includes talking very
frankly about those areas where we do not agree, including human rights.
That is the spirit that is guiding me as I take off for Beijing
tonight, and I can certainly guarantee that we will be discussing every
matter, including human rights, that is pending between us.
QUESTION: And those people who have gone missing?
SECRETARY CLINTON: I have nothing to add to what I’ve said at
this time. I have a full agenda of many issues of great concern to us,
including human rights and the freedom and free movement of people
inside China who have a right to exercise those freedoms under the
Universal Declaration of Human Rights.
MS. NULAND: Next question, Jose (inaudible).
QUESTION: Mr. del Rosario, the standoff at the Scarborough
Shoal is into its fourth week now. Did you get an unequivocal assurance
from the U.S. it will come to the aid of the Philippines if shots are
fired? And what was the type or form?
Also, short of shots being fired, how do you see the endgame of
Scarborough being played out if China cannot be persuaded diplomatically
to withdraw its vessels from the area?
SECRETARY DEL ROSARIO: Those are several questions rolled into
one, my friend, but let me begin from your last question. We do have a
three-track approach to endeavoring to solve the problem that we
currently have with China in the Scarborough Shoal. It encompasses three
tracks.
The first track is the political track. We are pursuing the ASEAN as a
framework for a solution to this problem through a code of conduct that
we are trying to put together and ultimately approve. Hopefully that
will quiet the situation.
Secondly, we are pursuing a legal track, and the legal track involves
our pursuing a dispute settlement mechanism under UNCLOS. There are
five of them. We think that we can avail of one or two of those
mechanisms, even without the presence of China.
Thirdly, we are pursuing a diplomatic approach, such as the one that
we are undertaking, which is to have consultations with China in an
attempt to defuse the situation.
In terms of U.S. commitment, I think the U.S. has been very clear
that they do not get involved in territorial disputes, but that they are
firm in terms of taking a position for a – towards a peaceful
settlement of the disputes in the South China Sea towards a multilateral
approach and towards the use of a rules-based regime in accordance with
international law, specifically UNCLOS. They have expressed that they
will honor their obligations under the Mutual Defense Treaty.
MS. NULAND: Next, Cami McCormick from CBS News.
QUESTION: Secretary Panetta, this is for you. White House
Counterterrorism official John Brennan today spoke openly for the first
time about drones. He said the – President Obama wanted more
transparency on this issue and more openness. As former CIA director and
now Defense Secretary, I’m wondering, is there some national security
benefit to talking about this now? Why was the decision made? And what
are your thoughts on it?
SECRETARY PANETTA: I’m going to let the speech speak for
itself. All I’ll say is that this country has engaged in a number of
operations, both covert and overt, to go after al-Qaida and our
terrorist allies – or their terrorist allies. And we have been very
successful at weakening al-Qaida as a result of that. This is a group
that attacked this country on 9/11, and we have made clear that we are
going to do everything we can to defend this country, using every means
possible. And the means we use are those that we feel are most effective
to go after al-Qaida.
MS. NULAND: The last question today, (inaudible) Times.
QUESTION: My question is for Secretary Gazmin. Secretary, in
light of the current Chinese-Philippines standoff in Scarborough Shoal,
what kind of assistance have you asked to bolster Manila’s ability to
patrol its waters and to deter what you call intrusions?
SECRETARY GAZMIN: Thank you for the question. The assistance
we have sought is to help us bring the case to international legal
bodies, so that the approach is the legal rules-based approach in
resolving the issue in the South China Sea or the West Philippine Sea.
MS. NULAND: Thank you very much.
SECRETARY CLINTON: Thank you all very much.
