China on Friday reiterated its opposition to “bloc politics” after a joint statement issued by the U.S., Japan, and the Philippines on issues related to Taiwan, the South China Sea, and the East China Sea, which China has long regarded as its internal affairs and rejected foreign interference.

Chinese action in the Pacific is expected to be a large focus in talks with the leaders of the Philippines, the U.S., and Japan.

The White House sees the first-ever trilateral summit with Japan and the Philippines as a potent response to China’s attempts at “intimidation” and sending a message that China is “the outlier in the neighborhood,” according to an administration official.