Tokyo, July 11 -- In a rebuke of Beijing's increasingly aggressive maritime posture, the foreign ministers of Japan, the United States, and the Philippines reaffirmed their commitment to freedom of navigation during a trilateral meeting on July 10.

The gathering, held on the sidelines of ASEAN-related meetings in Kuala Lumpur, marks the first such high-level ministerial dialogue since US President Donald Trump returned to office in January, The Straits Times reported.

Japanese Foreign Minister Takeshi Iwaya, US Secretary of State Marco Rubio, and Philippine Secretary of Foreign Affairs Maria Theresa Lazaro voiced firm opposition to any unilateral attempts to change the status quo "by force or coercion," a pointed message directed at Chi...