US-Japan-Philippines Trilateral Alliance in the Making: A Path Towards Institutionalization?

The US-Japan Summit on April 10th garnered significant anticipation, symbolizing Japanese Prime Minister Kishida Fumio's inaugural state visit; The summit took on a new significance, including the Philippines, adding a fresh dimension to the proceedings. Historically entangled with both the United States and Japan through colonization with the former and occupation with the latter, the Philippines' participation marked the inception of the first-ever trilateral summit among these nations.