President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. and Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida on Thursday agreed to strengthen Manila and Tokyo’s defense and security relations in response to growing Chinese military pressure in the region.
In a joint statement, the Asian leaders resolved to “increase the defense capabilities of their own countries, and further strengthen overall security cooperation.”
This will be done through strategic reciprocal port calls and aircraft visits, transfer of more defense equipment and technology, continuous cooperation on previously transferred defense equipment, and capacity building.
“In concrete terms, the leaders affirmed to strengthen efforts tocomplete transfer of air-surveillance radar systems, and for its related personnel training,” the statement read.
Mr. Marcos’ trip comes a week after Manila announced a deal giving US troops access to another four bases in the country, and with Japan and the Philippines already in talks on a key defense pact.
The so-called Reciprocal Access Agreement (RAA) would allow the countries to deploy troops on each other’s territory for training and other operations.
Japan, which invaded and occupied the Philippines during World War II, has recently signed similar pacts with Britain and Australia.
Mr. Marcos and PM Kishida are not expected to complete negotiations on the RAA deal immediately, but they will likely agree to measures aimed at speeding up military deployments for humanitarian assistance and disaster relief.
The leaders also welcomed the signing of the terms of reference concerning Humanitarian Assistance and Disaster Relief (HADR) activities of the Japan Self-Defense Forces (JSDF) in the Philippines.
This aims to simplify the procedures for visits to the Philippines by the JSDF, as one of the efforts to enhance and facilitate cooperation on HADR.
The President and Prime Minister also agreed to continue to consider ways to “further advance defense cooperation including through frameworks that will enhance and facilitate education and training exchanges as well as reciprocal visits of defense and military officials.”
Mr. Marcos referred to Japan’s useful defense equipment transfer program and the potential for deepening collaboration, joint work, and interoperability.
The two leaders also welcomed the progress of bilateral defense exchanges such as through the Vice Minister’s Defense Dialogue in December 2022, Staff Talks in July 2022, and the Japan-Philippines Military-to-Military Meeting in October 2022.
The President also welcomed Japan’s intention to establish a new cooperation framework for the benefit of the armed forces and other related organizations of recipient countries for the purpose of deepening security cooperation.
Mr. Marcos also invited PM Kishida for a return visit to Manila in the soonest date as possible.
The two leaders are taking an incremental approach towards the RAA, probably to avoid provoking Beijing, Renato de Castro, professor in the International Studies Department at De La Salle University in Manila, said.
“Both countries are still very much aware that they have touched a sensitive nerve in China (by) creating the possibility of an Asian encirclement of China,” De Castro said.
In Beijing’s view, “this might the beginning of an Asian NATO. Because you really have Asian countries strengthening and enhancing their security partnerships.”
Before departing on Wednesday, Mr. Marcos called his trip to Japan an “essential” part of a drive to strengthen partnerships “with major countries in the region amid a challenging global environment.”
He said he was “actively seeking” collaborations with Tokyo in areas including “agriculture, renewable energy, digital transformation, infrastructure, defense and security.”
He and Kishida are expected to sign seven agreements covering those areas on a trip that would also see Marcos meet Japan’s emperor on Thursday afternoon.
Worried about Beijing’s growing assertiveness on Taiwan and bases in the disputed South China Sea, Manila has been repairing ties with Washington that were fractured in recent years by the Duterte administration.
Given its proximity to Taiwan and its surrounding waters, cooperation from the Philippines would be key in the event of a conflict with China.
Japan last year announced a major defense overhaul, pledging to double defense spending to the NATO standard of 2 percent of GDP by 2027 and designating China the “greatest strategic challenge ever” to its security.
Japan is the Philippines’ biggest diplomatic source of active development assistance, according to Manila, and its second-largest trading partner.
It is also the only country to have a bilateral free trade agreement with the Philippines.
Kishida is expected to affirm several loan agreements and extensions for Philippine infrastructure projects, including a $3 billion exchange of notes to finance major commuter rail projects.
Meanwhile, Senate President Juan Miguel Zubiri, who is part of the President’s delegation to Japan, said the two countries should begin exploratory discussions on forging a visiting forces agreement between the two countries.
“It makes strategic sense,” Zubiri said, noting that Japan is an ally, and with ongoing territorial disputes over Philippine waters, the country stands to benefit from stronger security cooperation with its allies.
He said Japan is already offering vital support to the Philippine Coast Guard, not just through vessels and equipment but also through other capacity-building opportunities such as training.
The Senate leader said a VFA would strengthen the partnership even further.
“Peaceful diplomacy remains our foremost move toward conflict resolution, but we also have to be prepared for any eventuality,” he said. – AFP with Vince Lopez and Macon Ramos-Araneta