PH, Japan vow stronger defense, economic ties

November 2 ------ The Philippines and Japan reaffirmed their deepening partnership in defense, economic, and regional cooperation as President Marcos held his first bilateral meeting with newly elected Japanese Prime Minister Takaichi Sanae on the sidelines of the 47th Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) Summit and Related Summits in Malaysia.

During their meeting, Marcos personally congratulated Takaichi on her recent election, saying he looked forward to working closely with Japan as both countries prepare to mark the 70th anniversary of the normalization of their diplomatic relations in 2026. Both leaders agreed to continue strengthening the Philippines-Japan strategic partnership toward realizing a “Free and Open Indo-Pacific” and promoting peace and stability in the region. “The two leaders emphasized the importance of continued engagement and collaboration in trade and reaffirmed commitment to multilateralism and strengthening the international rules-based order,” Malacañang said.

During the 20-minute meeting, the two leaders welcomed the entry into force of the Philippines-Japan Reciprocal Access Agreement (RAA) last September, which allows for the reciprocal deployment of defense forces for training and humanitarian activities. They also noted that the RAA had been immediately applied in joint exercises and disaster response operations following the Cebu earthquake earlier this month.

Both leaders further welcomed the agreement in principle on an Acquisition and Cross-Servicing Agreement (ACSA), which will expand logistics and defense cooperation between the two countries. The two likewise vowed to build on these milestones to “strengthen the foundation for security cooperation that contributes to peace and stability in the Philippines and the wider region,” according to a readout from the Office of the Japanese Prime Minister. “Both leaders concurred on continuing working to strengthen the foundation for security cooperation that contributes to the peace and stability of the Philippines and the region,” it said.

On the economic front, Prime Minister Takaichi expressed Japan’s intent to bolster the resilience of the Philippine economy through infrastructure and food security initiatives, including equipment support for post-harvest rice processing. She also cited Japan’s plan to advance energy and civil nuclear cooperation, following the signing of a memorandum of cooperation on comprehensive energy partnership during the Asian Zero Emission Community (AZEC) Ministerial Meeting earlier this month.

President Marcos, for his part, thanked Japan for its ongoing assistance through official development aid (ODA) and said the Philippines seeks to expand collaboration beyond infrastructure and energy into broader fields of sustainable growth. Meanwhile, both leaders committed to closer coordination on key regional challenges — including the South China Sea, North Korea’s nuclear and missile threats, the Myanmar crisis, and cross-border stability in Cambodia and Thailand.

Source: mb.com.ph