At the summit, an agreement was reached to strengthen security cooperation to keep China in check.
Free radar donation and discussion on ‘mutual access agreement’ begin
Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida announced on the 4th that he would cooperate with ASEAN (Association of Southeast Asian Nations) to restore international order.
Prime Minister Kishida emphasized his determination to protect a free and open Indo-Pacific in a speech delivered to the Philippine Congress on this day and said, “I will protect freedom and the rule of law by leading the international community toward cooperation rather than division and confrontation.”
He began by saying, “The international community is currently at a historic turning point, and the international order based on the rule of law that we have taken for granted is under serious threat.”
He emphasized, “It is unacceptable for the world to be divided based on ideology and values in a situation where we are facing complex and interconnected challenges such as climate change and infectious diseases.”
Prime Minister Kishida expressed his intention to promote cooperation in line with the ‘ASEAN Perspective on the Indo-Pacific (AOIP)’ that ASEAN independently adopted in 2019.
He added, “We will ensure that many countries support and cooperate with the principles and activities specified in the AOIP, such as openness, transparency, and rules-based framework.”
The day before, Prime Minister Kishida held a summit meeting with Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos in Manila, Philippines, for about 85 minutes and decided to strengthen security cooperation in response to China’s expanding influence.
The Japanese government decided to provide coastal surveillance radars worth about $4 million (about 5.2 billion won) free of charge through the Government Security Capability Enhancement Assistance (OSA), which provides defense equipment to the Philippine military.
This is the first time that the OSA system has been actually applied since it was established in April of this year. Unlike the existing official development assistance (ODA), which was limited to non-military sectors, the OSA system focused on supporting defense equipment.
In addition, the two leaders began discussions on the Reciprocal Access Agreement (RAA), which will facilitate mutual access between the Japan Self-Defense Force and the Philippine Army to conduct more joint training, while expanding trilateral relations with the United States, their common defense ally. I confirmed that I would do it.
Prime Minister Kishida said in a joint statement after the meeting, “Both sides share serious concerns about the situation in the East and South China Seas,” and “China’s attempt to unilaterally change the status quo is unacceptable.”
The Japan Times diagnosed this as “a move at the level of a ‘quasi-alliance’ was made amid growing concerns in both countries about China’s territorial ambitions.”
Prime Minister Kishida began his three-day tour of the Philippines and Malaysia starting on the 3rd.
Source: Donga
Mark Jones is a world traveler and journalist for News Rebeat. With a curious mind and a love of adventure, Mark brings a unique perspective to the latest global events and provides in-depth and thought-provoking coverage of the world at large.