Philippines, Japan hold maritime dialogue ahead of historic trilateral talks with US

MANILA, Philippines — The Philippines and Japan have mapped out key areas of cooperation ahead of their historic trilateral maritime consultation with the United States this month in Tokyo, according to a statement from Japan's Ministry of Foreign Affairs on Tuesday, December 3.

During the sixth maritime dialogue in Manila on Tuesday, delegates from the Philippines and Japan reviewed progress in their bilateral and multilateral cooperation with the US, including coordination between their defense agencies and coast guards. 

The two countries also discussed their bilateral capacity-building efforts, including enhancing maritime domain awareness and improving maritime law enforcement capabilities. 

Department of Foreign Affairs assistant secretary Marshall Luis Alferez and Japanese Deputy Director-General Miyamoto Shingo led the discussions. 

The Philippine delegation also included representatives from the Department of National Defense and the Philippine Coast Guard, while Japan was also represented by officials from its defense department and coast guard. 

Both sides discussed "the latest developments in their surrounding seas such as the East and South China Seas" while affirming the importance of maintaining a rules-based, free and open maritime order, according to the statement of the Japanese ministry.

The Philippine side expressed "deep appreciation for the great support from Japan to date," according to the Japanese ministry.

"Both sides confirmed that, on the basis of today's discussion, they will discuss ways to further strengthen cooperation at the Japan-Philippines-U.S. Maritime Consultations," the Japanese foreign ministry said.

Delegates from the Philippines and Japan vowed to "continue to deepen cooperation in the maritime field to realize a free and open Indo-Pacific based on the rule of law."

The maritime dialogue between Japan and the Philippines was first formalized following a joint statement in June 2009. The first meeting was held in Tokyo in September 2011, with subsequent meetings in Manila (2013), Tokyo (2019) and Tokyo again in March 2023.

The Manila maritime dialogue follows recent high-level discussions between Japanese and Philippine foreign ministers during the G7 Foreign Ministers' Meeting on November 26.

The trilateral maritime talks in Tokyo this month — the first of its kind for the three countries — are expected to address similar matters related to upholding the rules-based order amid China's growing assertiveness in the region.

President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. and Japanese Prime Minister Ishiba Shigeru vowed to boost their nations' bilateral ties and address pressing regional security issues at the sidelines of the ASEAN Summit in Laos in October.

During the informal talks, Ishiba said that Japan is seeking to strengthen bilateral cooperation with the Philippines, particularly in defense and economic security.