Japan-Philippines Discuss Military Security Intelligence amid Concerns over China's Military Activities
Japan and the Philippines are expected to announce their intention to begin formal negotiations to agree on a security intelligence sharing pact, as the latest step to strengthen cooperation amid shared concerns about Chinese military activity.
In a meeting in Tokyo on Thursday, May 28, Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi and Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. are also scheduled to agree to upgrade bilateral relations to a "comprehensive strategic partnership", according to Japanese government sources.
The partnership is considered the second highest level of bilateral relations after an alliance. Japan has previously established similar partnerships with several countries in Southeast Asia, including Malaysia, Vietnam, and Laos.
Takaichi and Marcos are scheduled to hold a joint press conference after the meeting and deliver a joint statement, the source said.
Japan and the Philippines, both close allies of the United States, have in recent years continued to increase security cooperation, as the vision of a free and open Indo-Pacific, which Tokyo is pushing for amid China's increasing maritime assertiveness in the region, has strengthened.
Beijing claims the Senkaku Islands, which Tokyo controls in the East China Sea, as well as almost all of the South China Sea, where Chinese coast guard vessels are said to have taken aggressive action against Filipino vessels near the disputed territory.
The intelligence pact planned by Japan and the Philippines is known as the General Security of Military Information Agreement (GSOMIA), which requires the two countries to protect shared military secrets from being leaked. Japan has similar bilateral agreements with Australia, South Korea, and the United States.
Previously in January, Tokyo and Manila signed an acquisition and cross-servicing pact to facilitate the sharing of defense supplies.
In addition, the reciprocal access agreement which allows for the deployment of troops faster for joint exercises and disaster relief operations has been in effect since September last year.
The Philippines is also a recipient of Japan's official security assistance program, which provides defense equipment to like-minded partner countries since its launch in fiscal year 2023.
Both countries, which are both heavily reliant on oil imports from the Middle East, are also facing similar challenges in maintaining energy supplies amid global disruptions since the US-Israeli conflict with Iran began in late February.
Marcos' four-day visit to Japan until Friday (29/5) as a state guest took place at a time when Tokyo and Manila commemorated the 70th anniversary of the normalization of diplomatic relations this year.
Ahead of his summit with Takaichi, Marcos addressed the Japanese parliament and said the two countries "remain steadfast in our commitment to uphold international law" in the increasingly complex Indo-Pacific region, where tensions are testing the resilience of the rules-based order.
"Let us strive to be an example of strategic collaboration that inspires the path to peace, shares opportunities for shared prosperity, and harnesses new possibilities that benefit the country, the people, and the Indo-Pacific region more broadly," he said.
Source: Kyodo