President Joe Biden is sending White House national security adviser Jake Sullivan to Tokyo for discussions with officials from Japan, the Philippines, and South Korea. The purpose of Sullivan’s visit is to participate in the first-ever trilateral meeting of the national security advisers from these countries. The discussions will focus on strengthening collaboration on various regional and global issues. This visit comes after recent law enforcement drills in the South China Sea involving the United States, Japan, and the Philippines. The U.S. aims to reinforce alliances in Asia in response to the increasing tensions with China. While the U.S. has no territorial claims in the South China Sea, it emphasizes the importance of freedom of navigation, peaceful dispute resolution, and its national interest in the waterway. The visit was confirmed by the White House after President Biden mentioned it during a reception for U.S. chiefs of diplomatic missions. Relations between the U.S. and China have been strained, with recent incidents involving Taiwan and a Chinese spy base in Cuba. However, despite the tensions, the U.S. administration is eager to restart high-level communications with Beijing, as Secretary of State Antony Blinken plans to visit China later this month. Currently, Jake Sullivan is in India for meetings with officials ahead of Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s visit to Washington. The discussions in India focused on areas of collaboration between the U.S. and India, such as artificial intelligence, semiconductors, and defense.