Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. is set to hold a summit with Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida in Tokyo on Thursday as the two US allies seek to boost cooperation amid China’s growing power in the region.
(Bloomberg) — Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. is set to hold a summit with Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida in Tokyo on Thursday as the two US allies seek to boost cooperation amid China’s growing power in the region.
The two governments are set to sign a deal opening the way for military cooperation and Japan will pledge to provide ¥600 billion ($4.6 billion) in financial support and loans over two years during the first visit by Marcos since he took office in June, according to the Yomiuri newspaper.
The visit marks the latest step in Japan’s efforts to build security ties with partners beyond the US, its only formal treaty ally. It comes a week after the Philippines announced it would allow the US access to more of its military bases.
Marcos is set to meet Japanese Emperor Naruhito ahead of the summit, and will also hold talks with the business community in a trip that runs to Sunday.
Both nations are grappling with China tensions. Japan called Beijing an “unprecedented strategic challenge” in a new national security document, while embarking on a historic defense upgrade.
Manila and Tokyo are each locked in territorial disputes with China in the South China Sea and the East China Sea respectively and anxious to maintain stability in neighboring Taiwan, which Beijing sees as part of its territory. Chinese ships have regularly been seen trailing Philippine fishing vessels, often intercepting them and forcing them to divert from contested areas.
Tokyo and Manila also have deep economic links, with Japan being the Philippines’ second-largest trading partner. Japan is the only country with which the Southeast Asian nation has a free trade agreement.
Marcos said Wednesday he hopes to boost cooperation with Japan in ensuring freedom of passage in the South China Sea, as well as to move infrastructure projects delayed by the pandemic.
“Japan is different from the other places that we’ve been wherein we just opened up the conversations. In Japan, our interactions are already very well-developed,” the Philippine leader told reporters, according to an official transcript.
–With assistance from Ryotaro Nakamaru.
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