Biden says US support for Philippines and Japan defence ‘ironclad’

President Joe Biden, centre, Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jr., left, and Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida pose before a trilateral meeting in the East Room of the White House in Washington (Mark Schiefelbein/AP)

President Joe Biden said that US defence commitment to Pacific allies was “ironclad” as he gathered Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jr and Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida at the White House in the midst of growing concern about provocative Chinese military action in the Indo-Pacific.

The US and the Philippines have had a mutual treaty in place for more than 70 years.