Japanese Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba and Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. agreed to take important steps to further strengthen security cooperation between the two countries during their meeting in Manila on April 29. During the meeting, it was agreed that the two sides would initiate negotiations, particularly in the areas of intelligence sharing and defense logistics. The two sides also announced that they will begin negotiations on an “Acquisition and Mutual Service Agreement” (ACSA) to facilitate the sharing of defense materiel and support joint exercises.
Speaking at the joint press conference, Prime Minister Ishiba emphasized that Japan and the Philippines oppose Japan’s and the Philippines’ efforts to change the status quo by force in the East and South China Sea, indirectly referring to China’s increasing maritime activities in the region. Marcos, for his part, said such high-level visits were a sign of the golden age of bilateral relations. The leaders also discussed the upcoming trilateral joint exercises between the coast guards of Japan, the Philippines and the United States. They also exchanged views on economic issues, natural disaster preparedness and the vision of a free and open Indo-Pacific.
