Japan, Philippine to oppose attempts to change status quo in East and South China Sea

By Anadolu staff

ANKARA (AA) - Japan and the Philippines on Tuesday agreed to strengthen bilateral economic and defense cooperation, vowing to oppose any attempts to alter the status quo in the East and South China Seas through “force” or “coercion.”

The agreement was reached during a bilateral meeting in Manila between Japanese Prime Minister Ishiba Shigeru and Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jr., according to The Philippine Star.

Both countries have separate territorial disputes with China, Japan in the East China Sea, and the Philippines in the South China Sea.

Ishiba arrived in Manila on Tuesday after visiting Vietnam as part of a four-day trip through Wednesday, his third visit to Southeast Asia since taking office in October.

During the meeting, the two leaders also discussed resolving the currently paused “reciprocal” tariffs imposed by US President Donald Trump.

Ishiba said he and Marcos reaffirmed the importance of the Philippine-Japan-US trilateral agreement reached in Washington in April to uphold international law and regional stability.

He added that Japan and the Philippines share “fundamental values” such as the rule of law, and face common challenges in security, economic development, and natural disaster preparedness.

The two allies, he went on to say, are eyeing a package of cooperation in various sectors, including telecommunications, energy, mineral resources and agriculture.

Marcos, in his statement, expressed hope that the engagements between Manila and Tokyo will be renewed.

Describing Ishiba's visit as "fruitful," Marcos said the Philippines and Japan have agreed to start negotiations on acquisition and cross-servicing agreements, as he is looking forward to further strengthening Manila's strategic partnership with Tokyo.

"We look forward to a robust relationship as our diplomatic relations enter their 70th year of normalization in the year 2026," he added.

*Writing by Aamir Latif