MANILA — The upcoming US-Japan-Philippines summit in Washington this week will help Manila modernize its coast guard, Philippine Ambassador to the United States Jose Manuel Romualdez said Tuesday.

The Philippine Coast Guard conducts patrols in the West Philippine Sea and has figured in multiple confrontations with China's vessels during resupply missions to BRP Sierra Madre in Ayungin Shoal.

Although the Philippines has defense relationships with the US and Japan, it is the first time that the three nations will hold a summit together.

"This cooperation is going to help us modernize not only our armed forces and air force but also our navy and our coast guard," Romualdez said in an interview on ANC's "Headstart."

"This is all part and parcel of what we are just doing to defend ourselves from any aggression that's coming from other countries," he said.

President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. has created the policy-setting National Maritime Council to respond to help the country "confront a range of serious challenges" in Philippine waters.

The council has also been authorized to accept donations and aid from local and foreign sources to help boost maritime security, a move that the President's sister — Sen. Imee Marcos — said would "lead the country on a dangerous path."

Naval and air assets of the Philippines, Australia, Japan and the US also held maritime drills in Philippine waters over the weekend.

Romualdez: PH just getting together with allies who believe in rule of law

Ahead of the summit, China's foreign ministry on Monday said it was "opposed to the cobbling together of exclusive small circles and to confrontation between different groups in the region."

But Romualdez said the three countries "are not doing anything that is outside of the ordinary." 

He said it is "unfortunate" that Beijing sees the summit as "directed towards them."

The White House has also said that the talks will "advance a trilateral partnership built on deep historical ties of friendship, robust and growing economic relations... and a shared vision for a free and open Indo-Pacific."

Despite a 2016 ruling by the international court invalidating China's vast claims in the South China Sea and siding with the Philippines, Beijing has refused to budge and insists on its assertion.

In the interview, Romualdez said that President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. "would like to find ways and means to continue... a dialogue with China, the baseline being that we have to recognize the fact that we are protecting merely our territories."

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He added that Marcos seeks a "multilateral approach" to respond to the situation in the West Philippine Sea, which is part of the larger South China Sea.

"The bottom line is we are getting together with many of our allies who believe in the same rule of law," Romualdez said.

Activist groups like the Bagong Alyansang Makabayan condemn Chinese aggression in the West Philippine Sea but also warn against being caught up in the simmering rivalry between the US and China.

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—with a report from Agence France-Presse