Push Admin

Japan, Philippines agree on steps for closer security cooperation

Article (news)

Kyodo News

The Japanese and Philippine foreign ministers reaffirmed Tuesday their nations&#x27; commitment to strengthen cooperation in the fields of security and coast guard activities amid China&#x27;s growing maritime assertiveness in the Indo-Pacific, Japan&#x27;s Foreign Ministry said.<ul class="op-related-articles">	<li><a href="https://news.abs-cbn.com/news/04/09/22/japan-philippines-agree-to-boost-security-ties">Japan, Philippines agree to boost security ties</a></li>	<li><a href="https://news.abs-cbn.com/news/07/08/22/japan-envoy-sees-stronger-defense-cooperation-with-ph">Japan envoy sees stronger defense cooperation with PH under Marcos Jr.</a></li></ul>Japanese Foreign Minister Yoshimasa Hayashi and his Philippine counterpart Enrique Manalo agreed during their phone talks to pursue closer collaboration between Japan&#x27;s Self-Defense Forces and the Philippine military, such as joint exercises, the ministry said.It was the two ministers&#x27; first formal talks since Manalo assumed his post earlier this month following President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.&#x27;s inauguration on June 30.Tokyo and Manila, both U.S. allies, are each facing challenges from Beijing&#x27;s territorial claims as China intensifies its military activities in the East and South China seas.Hayashi was quoted by the ministry as saying that he is strongly opposed to attempts to &quot;unilaterally change the status quo by force&quot; in the seas, as well as to economic coercion, in a veiled criticism of China&#x27;s increasing military and economic clout in the region.With Tuesday marking the sixth anniversary of a 2016 ruling by the Permanent Court of Arbitration in The Hague that rejected China&#x27;s sweeping claims to contested waters in the South China Sea, the two ministers confirmed that they will seek a peaceful resolution to the disputes in accordance with the judgment.<ul class="op-related-articles">	<li><a href="https://news.abs-cbn.com/news/07/12/21/hague-ruling-squandered-duterte-opposition">&#x27;Duterte kowtowed to China&#x27;: Reds blast &#x27;squandering&#x27; of Hague ruling on South China Sea</a></li>	<li><a href="https://news.abs-cbn.com/spotlight/07/26/21/south-china-sea-calls-to-honor-hague-ruling-5-years-on-but-beijing-digs-in">South China Sea: Calls to honor Hague ruling 5 years on, but Beijing digs in</a></li></ul>Hayashi said in a statement that Beijing&#x27;s refusal to accept the international tribunal ruling &quot;is against the principle of peaceful settlement of disputes&quot; and &quot;undermines the rule of law as a fundamental value of the international community.&quot;<figure class="op-interactive"><iframe height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/G58TrfeZ344?enablejsapi=1" width="560"></iframe></figure><div class="iwantbar">Watch more News on <a href="https://www.iwanttfc.com/#!/browse/Genres/News/tag_id_genres/id_news" target="_blank">iWantTFC</a></div>Meanwhile, the Japanese minister praised the Philippines as having &quot;consistently complied&quot; with the judgment and showing its &quot;commitment to a peaceful settlement.&quot;They also vowed to work together in response to Russia&#x27;s invasion of Ukraine as Kiev seeks to resist the aggression, as well on North Korea&#x27;s missile and nuclear threats and the crisis in Myanmar after the military coup there last year, the ministry said.==Kyodo

The Japanese and Philippine foreign ministers reaffirmed Tuesday their nations' commitment to strengthen cooperation in the fields of security and coast guard activities amid China's growing maritime assertiveness in the Indo-Pacific, Japan's Foreign Ministry said.