Japan and Philippines Enhance Defense Ties Facing Indo-Pacific Security Risks

Japanese Defence Minister Gen Nakatani announced that Japan and the Philippines had agreed to strengthen their defence cooperation in the face of an "increasingly severe" security environment in the Indo-Pacific region. Nakatani held discussions with his Philippine counterpart Gilberto Teodoro in Manila, where the two ministers addressed regional security issues, particularly the maritime conditions in the East and South China Seas.

"The security environment surrounding us is becoming increasingly severe and that it is necessary for the two countries as strategic partners to further enhance defence cooperation and collaboration to maintain peace and stability in Indo-Pacific," Nakatani said.

Nakatani stated that Japan and the Philippines have decided to enhance collaboration on military exchanges, create a high-level strategic dialogue within their armed forces, and improve information sharing. The security relationship between the two US allies has grown stronger in the last two years, as Japan and the Philippines express mutual concerns regarding China's more assertive behavior in the region. The Philippines and China have often been in conflict in the South China Sea over disputed shoals and atolls located within Manila's exclusive economic zone.

On Sunday, Nakatani visited military installations in the northern Philippines, including a naval base that features a coastal radar donated by Japan as part of its 600 million yen ($4 million) security aid in 2023. Manila was among the initial beneficiaries of Tokyo's formal security support, a program designed to enhance the deterrence abilities of partner nations. In December, the two nations entered into a second security agreement where Japan agreed to supply the Philippine navy with rigid hull inflatable boats (RHIB) along with extra coastal radar systems