President Joe Biden convened the first-ever trilateral summit between the leaders of the United States, Japan, and the Philippines at the White House on Thursday, where the president vowed a “new era of partnership” between the three nations.

The summit itself comes as China continues aggressive posturing in the South China Sea, including frequent incidents in recent months between the Chinese and Philippine navies. Biden hosted Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida for a state visit on Wednesday, and Philippine President Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos visited the White House last spring.