Japan and the Philippines have agreed to strengthen military cooperation in response to China’s increasing assertiveness in the region.
Japanese Defence Minister Gen Nakatani and Philippine Defence Secretary Gilberto Teodoro, Jr announced on Monday that both nations would establish a “strategic dialogue” between their militaries, alongside a “high-level framework” for defence equipment and technology cooperation.
During a news conference at the end of his two-day visit to the Philippines, Nakatani emphasised the necessity of bolstering collaboration to uphold regional security.
“We firmly concurred that the security environment surrounding us is becoming increasingly severe and that it is necessary for our two countries, as strategic partners, to further enhance defence cooperation and collaboration in order to maintain peace and stability in the Indo-Pacific under such a situation,” he said.
Ahead of the talks, Teodoro underscored the shared position of Japan and the Philippines against unilateral actions in the region. He stated that both nations opposed “unilateral attempts by China and other countries to change the international order and the narrative.”
Both countries, which have separate mutual defence treaties with the United States, have been vocal in criticising Beijing’s territorial assertions in the South China Sea.
The vital waterway, through which nearly one-third of global shipping passes, is the subject of competing claims by the Philippines, Vietnam, Taiwan, Malaysia, and Brunei. However, China claims more than 90 percent of the area.
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An international tribunal ruling in 2016 rejected China’s sweeping claims, declaring them without legal basis and finding Beijing guilty of violating international law. Beijing dismissed the decision as “invalid” and refused to recognise it.
Tensions escalated last week when the Philippine Presidential Office for Maritime Concerns accused China’s navy of reckless behaviour.
A Chinese military helicopter flew within three metres of a Philippine surveillance plane carrying journalists over the contested Scarborough Shoal. China’s military accused Manila of “hyping and smearing” its actions, claiming the Philippine aircraft had “illegally intruded” into Chinese airspace.
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