At a time of increased volatility in relations between the Philippines and China, Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida arrived in the country on Friday for a two-day official visit aimed at strengthening defense and security cooperation.
At the presidential palace, Kishida will meet with President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. to discuss various topics, including the South China Sea, where Beijing and Manila have had many run-ins.
Before Kishida’s visit, the Marcos administration stated that “the West Philippine Sea, trade and investment, and Japan’s Official Development Assistance (ODA) are among the specific issues to be discussed.”
“They will also exchange views on major regional, international, and United Nations issues affecting the region and the world.”
Although it has a separate maritime conflict with China in the East China Sea, Japan has no claim to the seas.
China claims practically all of the South China Sea, and Japan and the West are becoming increasingly alarmed due to China’s expanding military presence there. To protect freedom of passage, the US conducts frequent air and naval patrols in the region.
Before the visit, the Japan Defense Ministry declared that the Philippines’ defense department and Mitsubishi Electric Corp. would be entering into a 2020 deal that would see the delivery of the country’s first air surveillance radar system to the military.
Marcos and Kishida reached a deal in Tokyo in February to work together on disaster assistance, which was perceived as a first step toward a more significant accord that would permit the deployment of military personnel on each other’s territory.
After the meeting, Marcos declared that if a military pact between the Philippines and Japan would improve maritime security, he could not see any reason not to do so. Kishida is scheduled to address the Philippine Congress on Saturday.
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