Japan and Philippines Strengthen Partnership Amid South China Sea Tensions

In response to concerns that incoming US President Donald Trump may reduce military obligations in Asia, Japan and the Philippines pledged to deepen security cooperation in order to oppose China's actions in strategic sea ports.

"In response to the developments in the South China Sea, we agreed to further strengthen Japan-Philippines partnership," Japanese Foreign Minister Takeshi Iwaya said.

To reaffirm security commitments, Takeshi Iwaya met with Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos and his Filipino colleague Enrique Manalo in Manila. Iwaya and Manalo spoke about Beijing's territory and sovereign rights claims in the East China Sea that overlaps with Japan's, as well as Beijing's attempts to impose control over the South China Sea, a vital trading route.

The majority of the important waterway is claimed by China, even though an international tribunal found that their claim was unfounded. Chinese coast guard ships were patrolling along Manila's coast this week, which alarmed the city.

Manalo said "our geopolitical security environment is growing more and more complex and challenging" and expressed concern over "unilateral actions that aim to undermine the rule of law in the East and South China Seas".

Japan is a major contributor to Philippine efforts to update its maritime surveillance systems and patrol boats in the South China Sea. The US and the Philippines have a long-standing security partnership that includes a 2014 agreement that permits the US military to store equipment on nine Philippine areas as well as a mutual defense treaty.