TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - Japan and the Philippines are expected to announce their intention to begin formal negotiations on a security intelligence-sharing pact. This is the latest step in strengthening their cooperation amid shared concerns over China's military activities.
At a meeting in Tokyo on Thursday, Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi and Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. are also scheduled to agree to upgrade bilateral relations to a "comprehensive strategic partnership," according to Japanese government sources, as quoted by ANTARA.
This partnership is considered the second-highest level of bilateral relations after an alliance. Japan has previously established similar partnerships with several Southeast Asian countries, including Malaysia, Vietnam, and Laos.
Takaichi and Marcos are scheduled to hold a joint press conference after the meeting and issue a joint statement, the source said.
Japan and the Philippines, both close allies of the United States, have steadily increased security collaboration in recent years, as Tokyo's vision of a free and open Indo-Pacific, pushed amid growing Chinese maritime assertiveness in the region, has strengthened.
Beijing claims the Tokyo-controlled Senkaku Islands in the East China Sea, as well as almost the entire South China Sea, where Chinese coast guard vessels have been accused of aggressively engaging Philippine vessels near disputed areas.
The intelligence pact planned by Japan and the Philippines is known as the General Security of Military Information Agreement (GSOMIA). This agreement obligates both countries to protect shared military secrets from leaks. Japan already has similar bilateral agreements with Australia, South Korea, and the U.S.
Earlier in January, Tokyo and Manila signed an acquisition and cross-servicing pact to facilitate the sharing of defense supplies. In addition, a reciprocal access agreement that allows for faster troop deployment for joint exercises and disaster relief operations came into effect in September last year.
Since its launch in fiscal year 2023, the Philippines has also been a recipient country of Japan's official security assistance program, which provides defense equipment to like-minded partner countries.
Both countries, which are heavily dependent on oil imports from the Middle East, also face similar challenges in maintaining energy supplies amid global disruptions since the U.S.-Israel conflict with Iran began in late February.
Marcos' four-day visit to Japan, which runs until Friday (May 29), as a state guest, comes as Tokyo and Manila commemorate the 70th anniversary of the normalization of diplomatic relations.
Ahead of the summit with Takaichi, Marcos delivered a speech to the Japanese parliament and said both countries "remain steadfast in their commitment to upholding international law" in the increasingly complex Indo-Pacific region, where tensions are testing the resilience of the rules-based order.
"Let us strive to be an example of strategic collaboration that inspires the path to peace, shares opportunities for shared prosperity, and harnesses new possibilities that benefit the country, the people, and the Indo-Pacific region more broadly," he said.
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