Biden says US support for Philippines, Japan defense ‘ironclad’ amid growing China provocations

News Snapshot:

WASHINGTON (AP) — President Joe Biden said Thursday that U.S. defense commitment was “ironclad” as he gathered Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. and Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida at the White House on Thursday in the midst of growing concern about provocative Chinese military action in the Indo-Pacific. “The United States defense commitments to Japan and to the Philippines are ironclad. They’re ironclad," Biden said as he began three-way talks at the White House with Kishida and Marcos. "As I said before, any attack on Philippine aircraft, vessels or armed forces in the South China Sea would invoke our mutual...