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| Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. will address the nation for the first time as president-elect on July 25, 2022. |
WASHINGTON —
Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. arrived in Japan on Wednesday (February 8), seeking to strengthen security cooperation between the two close U.S. allies in the face of China's assertiveness in the South and East China Seas. New opportunities and potentials, and may pave the way for Japan to deploy military forces to the Philippines in the future.
My visit to Japan was essential, Marcos Jr. said before departing. In a difficult international context, it is a part of a larger foreign policy initiative to forge tighter political ties with significant regional powers. , a stronger defense and security partnership, and an enduring economic partnership.
In recent years, the Japanese government has been particularly vigilant against China's military expansion and threats. Tokyo has significantly increased its defense budget, and strengthened security cooperation with Europe, the United States, and especially Asian countries with similar ideas through the establishment of security partnerships and assistance, in order to establish a united front against Beijing in the Asia-Pacific region.
The Philippines is one of the key countries that Japan has worked hard to develop and expand its security partnership in recent years, and the security and defense cooperation between the two countries has become increasingly close.
The Associated Press pointed out in the report that the Japanese government believes that it is necessary to make major adjustments to Japan's security and defense policies and take a tougher stance to deal with China's challenges and threats. Critics, however, accuse Tokyo of imposing its own sense of security on poor countries while providing massive aid to them.
Days before his trip to Japan, Marcos signed an agreement with visiting U.S. Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin to increase the number of Philippine military bases the U.S. military can use to nine from the current five, including A base that is very close to Taiwan has an important deterrent effect on Beijing's plan to attack Taiwan.
Japan has a close relationship with Taiwan, and an important purpose of Tokyo's strengthening of relations with the United States and the Philippines is also to deal with Beijing's possible military reunification war against Taiwan. The tripartite alliance of the United States, Japan and South Korea that already exists in East Asia is mainly to deal with Pyongyang's missile provocation and nuclear threat.
During Marcos Jr.'s visit, defense officials from the two countries are expected to sign an agreement for Japan's Self-Defense Forces to provide more military training and humanitarian and disaster relief assistance to the Philippines.
“This is a major strategic change,” Rahman Emanuel, the U.S. ambassador to Japan, said of U.S.-Japan nondefense relations last week. "From a deterrent standpoint, this will significantly support regional strategic partnerships." The
Japanese government significantly adjusted its security and defense strategy in December last year, and broke the long-standing post-war peace constitution. For the first time, it will develop pre-emptive long-range attack capabilities Included in the new security strategy. Tokyo also plans to double defense spending within five years.
Under the new security strategy, Japan will use its development aid to poor countries to help them strengthen their maritime security and other defense capabilities to fend off China's growing influence over them.
Japanese Foreign Minister Lin Fangzheng believes that "Japan must not only fundamentally strengthen its defense capabilities, but also enhance the deterrence capabilities of like-minded countries" in order to prevent attempts to unilaterally change the status quo.
Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida and Marcos Jr. are expected to issue a joint statement in which Japan will pledge 600 billion yen ($4.5 billion) in development aid to the Philippines by 2024, most of which It will be used to accelerate infrastructure construction, disaster prevention, and information technology improvement.
According to media reports from Japan and the Philippines, Japan’s aid to the Philippines may also include providing the Philippines with several Japanese-made patrol boats to help Manila deal with China’s increasingly frequent naval activities in the South China Sea.
Japan has been particularly active in helping Southeast Asian countries strengthen their coast guards in recent years, and has provided 12 patrol boats to the Philippines and nine to Vietnam.
China, Vietnam, the Philippines, Brunei, Malaysia and Taiwan all claim all or part of the South China Sea, and there are often confrontations and disputes in the South China Sea waters. The Chinese government has not only become increasingly assertive in the sovereignty disputes in the South China Sea, but also fully militarized the artificial islands in the South China Sea. The United States has no sovereignty claim in the South China Sea, and has always insisted on ensuring freedom of navigation in the South China Sea in accordance with international law.
Although Southeast Asian countries are unwilling to openly choose sides between the United States and China, the presence of the US military in the South China Sea is regarded by almost all Southeast Asian countries as an effective counterweight to China, a superpower.
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