By Focus and AFP | 2025-05-09

Japan is reinforcing its strategic presence in Southeast Asia through closer security and economic ties with the Philippines, as both countries face rising concerns over China's growing assertiveness in contested maritime territories.

On April 29, Shigeru Ishiba's first official visit as Japanese prime minister to Manila marked a significant step in Tokyo-Manila cooperation, with new initiatives launched to bolster defense collaboration and economic development.

During a joint news conference with Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jr., Ishiba emphasized the shared position against coercive actions in the region's disputed waters.

"I hope that our two nations will continue to closely communicate with each other to oppose attempts to change the status quo in the East and South China Seas by force or coercion," Ishiba said.

Beijing claims nearly all of the South China Sea, despite a 2016 international tribunal ruling that found its assertion had no legal basis.

Information security pact

Both Tokyo and Manila have maritime disputes with China: Japan in the East China Sea and the Philippines in the South China Sea.

The two countries' shared grievances over China's territorial claims have seen them draw increasingly close to each other and the United States.

The visit coincided with Japan's participation in joint military exercises alongside Philippine and US forces, underscoring the growing security alignment of those countries in the Indo-Pacific.

In Manila, Japanese and Philippine officials announced the start of negotiations on an acquisition and cross-servicing agreement, which would allow the exchange of logistical support and supplies between their armed forces.

Japan and the Philippines have begun talks on a potential information security agreement, which will enable the sharing of confidential information and further strengthen defense cooperation, said Ishiba.

The measures build on the Reciprocal Access Agreement signed by both countries last July, which would allow troop deployments on each other's soil. The Philippines has ratified the deal. It awaits legislative approval in Japan.

'Steadfast ally'

Japan has been a key financier of Philippine efforts to modernize South China Sea patrol vessels and maritime surveillance capabilities. These upgrades have become increasingly necessary amid recurring confrontations between Chinese and Philippine coast guard ships in disputed waters.

Marcos praised what he described as a "golden age" in Manila-Tokyo ties, acknowledging Japan's role in enhancing Philippine defense capabilities. He called Japan a "reliable and steadfast partner" in the region.

Philippine House Speaker Ferdinand Martin Romualdez echoed the statement, highlighting Japan's "indispensable role in supporting our development" and calling the nation "a steadfast ally, a trusted friend and a vital partner."

Economic development

Japan pledged support to help the Philippines achieve upper-middle-income status, a development goal seen as crucial to attracting more foreign investment.

Ishiba said Japan would leverage its "uniquely Japanese strengths" in supporting growth across multiple sectors, including telecommunications, energy, infrastructure and disaster risk reduction.

Tokyo will continue to promote private sector involvement, Japanese Foreign Ministry spokesman Toshihiro Kitamura said. Japan leverages private capital and intends to further bolster investment from the more than 1,600 Japanese firms in the Philippines, he said.

Beyond broad economic strategies and private sector mobilization, officials highlighted specific sectors like agriculture as promising areas of cooperation.

Ishiba, a former agriculture minister, noted Marcos's strong interest in the sector and expressed hope for deeper collaboration in agricultural development.

Trusted partner

Across Southeast Asia, Japan continues to be viewed as a trusted economic and political partner.

An ISEAS-Yusof Ishak Institute survey published earlier this year found that 67.4% of respondents were "worried about China's growing regional economic influence" -- more than double the 32.6% who welcomed it.

Respondents viewed the growing economic power of a single country, the report noted, as a risk to regional economic security.

As Southeast Asia continues to grow in economic and strategic importance, Tokyo's long-term investment in the region -- grounded in mutual respect and evolving partnerships -- appears poised to deepen further.

According to the ISEAS survey, Japan remains the most trusted major power in the ASEAN region, with an ASEAN-10 overall trust level of 66.8%, up form 58.9% in 2024.

"Japan maintains its status as a country that can be trusted, with people in ASEAN appreciating its reliability in keeping economic commitments and a shared sense of cultural affinity," commentator Veeramalla Anjaiah wrote in an article published by Eurasia Review on February 27.