Japanese Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba met Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jr on Tuesday to advance security and economic cooperation, as tensions rise in the Indo-Pacific.
The two-day visit underscores efforts by Tokyo and Manila—both close allies of Washington—to solidify defence links in response to China’s assertive moves in regional waters.
Ishiba was welcomed at the presidential palace in Manila with military honours and a formal reception by senior cabinet members.
Talks centred on enhancing military collaboration under the countries’ “Strengthened Strategic Partnership,” with a focus on Japan’s security aid and the Reciprocal Access Agreement (RAA), which allows troop deployments on each other’s soil.
The landmark pact, ratified by the Philippines but still pending in Japan’s legislature, would streamline the movement of forces and equipment for joint training and humanitarian operations.
“This agreement is a cornerstone of our growing cooperation,” Ishiba said in a statement ahead of the meeting.
Both sides reaffirmed their commitment to a free and open Indo-Pacific and to a rules-based international order, according to Japan’s embassy in Manila.
Amid concerns over China’s conduct in the South China Sea and heightened tensions in the Taiwan Strait, both nations have hardened their positions on regional security.
Japan, which began its largest military expansion since World War Two in 2023, has no claims in the South China Sea but remains in a territorial dispute with China over the East China Sea.
Ishiba’s visit coincides with joint military exercises involving Japanese, Philippine, and U.S. forces, signalling closer trilateral security cooperation.
“With the increasingly severe security environment in the region, our relationship with the United States becomes even more vital,” Ishiba wrote in a Philippine newspaper editorial.
This is Ishiba’s first visit to the Philippines since becoming prime minister in 2024.
