By Joyce Ann L. Rocamora

BOOSTING TIES. Japanese Foreign Minister Iwaya Takeshi and Foreign Affairs Secretary Enrique Manalo during a press conference in Taguig City on Wednesday (Jan. 15, 2025). The Japanese government will strengthen its cooperation and maritime security support to the Philippines “in response to the developments in the South China Sea”. (PNA photo by Robert Alfiler)

MANILA – The Japanese government will strengthen its cooperation and maritime security support to the Philippines “in response to the developments in the South China Sea (SCS)”.

Visiting Japanese Foreign Minister Iwaya Takeshi made the announcement on Wednesday as he conveyed Japan’s “grave concerns” over repeated actions that heighten tensions in the SCS.

“(The) issue over the South China Sea is a legitimate concern for the international community because it directly links to the regional peace and stability. Japan strongly opposes any attempt to unilaterally change the status quo by force or build up tension in the region; we strongly ask for easing of tensions,” he said in a joint presser after a bilateral meeting with Foreign Affairs Secretary Enrique Manalo in Taguig City.

“In our meeting here today, in response to the developments in the South China Sea, we agreed to further strengthen Japan-Philippines partnership,” he added.

Iwaya confirmed that Japan will continue its official security assistance (OSA) to enhance the country’s maritime security as well as its official development assistance (ODA) for the improvement of Philippine maritime safety capabilities.

Tokyo has so far signed two OSAs with Manila, with the PHP611 million grant to provide equipment for the Philippine Navy and the Philippine Air Force as the most recent one.

Against the backdrop of an “increasingly severe strategic environment” in the region, Iwaya said Tokyo places great importance on its strategic partnership with Manila.

“As the international situation becomes ever more complex, it is increasingly important to work in partnership with Southeast Asia, which is strategically located for the maritime transport as well as being the world’s growth center,” he said.

Iwaya said he and Manalo also agreed on the need to “maintain and strengthen the momentum” with the incoming Trump administration under the Philippine-Japan-US trilaterals.

Manalo said the two nations would work to leverage their strength with other like-minded states, including through trilateral cooperation, in upholding a rules-based international order.

“We both express concern on developments on the South China Sea and the East China Sea, and as neighbors, we face similar challenges in our common pursuit of regional peace and stability,” he said.

“Thus, we are working together to improve resilience and enhance adaptive capacity in the face of the evolving geopolitical landscape in the Indo-Pacific region,” he added.

On top of maritime cooperation, Manalo said he conveyed Manila’s keenness to improve trade and investment with Tokyo, as well as cooperation in the areas of ICT, economic resilience and de-risking, and the diversification of the telecommunication industry.

He also mentioned the possible general review of the Japan-Philippines Economic Partnership Agreement at an early date. (PNA)