President Marcos wants deeper defense, trade ties with Japan

MANILA, Philippines — President Marcos has highlighted the need to maintain peace and the free flow of trade in the South China Sea during a meeting with the Komeito party of Japan, more than a week after a Chinese coast guard ship fired water cannons at two Philippine boats on a resupply mission in Ayungin Shoal.

At the meeting with Komeito party chief representative Yamaguchi Natsuo at Malacañang on Wednesday, Marcos noted that in the past, interactions between the Philippines and Japan were mostly focused on trade and official development assistance.

As times have changed, discussions and agreements have gone beyond trade, business and investment as the two countries are now concerned with issues of regional security and defense.

“In that regard, we must acknowledge the very important contributions that Japan has made to the Philippines in terms of not only training, not only in terms of equipment but also the agreements that we have been able to forge between our two countries in terms of cooperation, in terms of preserving the peace and allowing the free conduct of trade and shipping in the South China Sea,” the President said.

Natsuo told Marcos that Japan’s Komeito Party is open to more cooperation with the Philippines, not only in its traditional partnerships but also in defense and maritime security cooperation.

Tensions flared in the South China Sea last Aug. 5 after a Chinese coast guard ship fired a water cannon at two Philippine boats tasked to send supplies to Filipino soldiers stationed in Ayungin Shoal, known internationally as Second Thomas Shoal. The BRP Sierra Madre, a rusty ship that has been grounded in the shoal for more than two decades, serves as an outpost for a handful of Marines.

After the incident, China claimed that the Philippines had reneged on its promise to tow away the Sierra Madre. Marcos said he was not aware of such agreement. He vowed not to remove the ship from the shoal.

At the same meeting, Marcos cited the need for new regional peace efforts to maintain peace and stability in the Korean Peninsula.

“But beyond what is happening very close to our country, also the continuing great concern on the actuations of North Korea, with Japan being very much in the line of fire,” the President told Natsuo.

“It is something that although we would say is not top of mind in terms of security and defense, we consider it a critical issue that we in the region must work together very hard to try to alleviate the tensions, to try to make all the proponents of peace in the region be the dominant voice,” he added.

Regional peace

Marcos expressed support for the view of Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida, that economic peace and economic strength are vital to maintaining regional peace. He cited the partnerships and agreements that Manila and Tokyo have forged not only on a bilateral basis but also on a multilateral basis with regard to maintaining stability in the South China Sea.

“I refer to the trilateral agreements that we have been talking about and have started to implement in terms of joint patrols, in terms of joint exercises for the two maritime forces of Japan and the Philippines,” Marcos said.

Last June, the coast guards of the Philippines, Japan and the US conducted their first ever trilateral maritime exercise in Bataan. According to the Japanese embassy, the event was meant to strengthen the interoperability between the three coast guards through communication exercises, maneuvering drills, photo exercises, maritime law enforcement training, search and rescue and passing exercises.

In a recent statement, Embassy of Japan Charges d’affaires ad interim Matsuda Kenichi said Tokyo would “concretely” advance cooperation with Manila to bolster maritime security capabilities and freedom of navigation.

Marcos also reiterated his intention to boost the Philippines’ investment and development partnerships with Japan. Natsuo said Japan actively supports the Philippines’ goal to become an upper-middle income country.

“We would like to see many corporations not only in defense cooperation but also maritime security cooperation, also agriculture areas,” he said.

The Japanese party leader also mentioned the passage of the law establishing the Maharlika investment fund and noted that Japan has supported the Philippines’ infrastructure development through official development assistance.

“I hope that Maharlika Investment Fund, as a transparent, independent institution, will help your country’s infrastructure investment,” Natsuo said.

The Philippines has benefited from various acquisitions and procurements of Japan’s defense assets under an agreement signed in 2016. Among the assets transferred were UH-1H helicopter spare parts and maintenance equipment, humanitarian and disaster response equipment and air surveillance radar system. The Philippines also benefited from the continued TC-90 maintenance support and sustainment program and the sale of TC-90 ground support, spare parts and maintenance equipment.

Tokyo has also helped Manila improve its maritime surveillance capability through the provision of radar systems for the Philippine Coast Guard. The PCG is also set to receive a state-of-the-art satellite communication system from Japan that would help enhance its capacity to monitor the country’s vast maritime jurisdiction.

Meanwhile, Sweden is offering to supply the Philippine Air Force (PAF) with its flagship multirole fighter aircraft.

Swedish Ambassador Annika Thunborg met with Defense Secretary Gilbert Teodoro on Aug. 14 to discuss the possibility of providing the PAF with Saab JAS-39 Gripen, categorized as a light single-engine supersonic multirole fighter plane. — Michael Punongbayan