WASHINGTON — The White House said on Friday there is no reason for China to see a U.S. summit this week with Japan and the Philippines as a threat.
White House national security spokesperson John Kirby spoke after China complained to Japan and the Philippines about some of the rhetoric emerging from President Joe Biden’s summit talks with the leaders of Japan and the Philippines this week.
“These meetings were not about any one other nation. This was about deepening and revitalizing existing alliances and partnerships and strengthening some new ones,” Kirby told reporters.
“There’s no reason for the PRC to look at this as any kind of a threat. This was simply a discussion between three allies about mutual challenges and quite frankly mutual opportunities that we are trying to explore in the Indo-Pacific region,” he said.
— Reporting by Steve Holland and Doina Chiacu; Editing by Chizu Nomiyama
