Japan has pledged to strengthen defense cooperation with the Philippines by providing military equipment and technology to enhance the capabilities of Philippine forces. This commitment was made after a summit meeting between President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. and Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi in Tokyo on Thursday.
Joint Statement on Defense Collaboration
In a joint statement, the two nations agreed to step up collaboration to facilitate the transfer of defense equipment, including destroyers, TC-90 aircraft, and radar systems. This aligns with the Agreement concerning the Transfer of Defense Equipment and Technology and the Official Security Assistance (OSA), which aims to enhance defense capabilities and strengthen security cooperation.
Prime Minister Takaichi reaffirmed Japan's commitment to contributing to the capacity building of the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP), particularly in the maritime domain. The leaders vowed to advance cooperation in the defense sector to support the development of mutually beneficial industrial capabilities, enhance supply chain resilience, and improve interoperability and long-term defense readiness.
Philippines Welcomes Japan's Revised Defense Export Principles
The Philippines welcomed Japan's newly revised Three Principles on Transfer of Defense Equipment and Technology and its implementation guidelines, acknowledging that such efforts contribute to regional peace and stability. Marcos and Takaichi recognized that closer cooperation between their defense authorities in recent years has laid a robust foundation for their bilateral partnership.
They agreed to convene the next Philippines-Japan '2+2' Foreign and Defense Ministerial Meeting early to strengthen strategic coordination and ensure effective high-level policy discussions.
Maritime Cooperation Emphasized
Both leaders stressed the need to advance maritime cooperation, noting that the Philippines and Japan are neighbors connected by the sea. They acknowledged that enhancing maritime cooperation, underpinned by respect for international law, promotes peace, stability, and mutual trust.
President Marcos expressed gratitude to Japan for its continued support in enhancing the Philippine Coast Guard's capabilities through the provision of patrol ships. The leaders vowed to promote mutual exchanges between maritime law enforcement agencies through joint training and capacity-building activities aimed at ensuring maritime safety and upholding the rule of law in the Indo-Pacific.
Upholding Freedom of Navigation
They emphasized the importance of upholding freedom of navigation and overflight, lawful uses of the sea, unimpeded commerce, and the peaceful resolution of maritime disputes, in accordance with international law, particularly the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS). This comes as they expressed serious concern over the situation in the East China Sea and the South China Sea, reaffirming their strong opposition to any unilateral attempts to change the peacefully established status quo by force or coercion.
Marcos and Takaichi reaffirmed the universal and unified character of UNCLOS as the comprehensive legal framework governing all activities in the oceans and seas. They also acknowledged the need to develop an effective and substantive Code of Conduct (COC) to effectively govern the behavior of parties at sea without prejudice to the legitimate rights and interests of all actors navigating the South China Sea.
Support for 2016 Arbitral Award
The two leaders reiterated their support for the 2016 South China Sea Arbitral Award, which is final and legally binding on the parties to the dispute. Noting that 10 years have passed since the issuance of the Award, they reaffirmed the importance of international law and compliance by the parties to the dispute with decisions and rulings rendered through compulsory dispute settlement mechanisms under UNCLOS.
They also cited the importance of promoting peace and stability across the Taiwan Strait and a peaceful resolution of cross-Strait issues through dialogue.
