Philippine President Marcos Embarks on 4-Day Visit to Japan – The Diplomat

ASEAN Beat | Diplomacy | Southeast Asia

Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. yesterday launched into a four-day working go to to Japan that’s geared toward reinforcing the “sturdy and vibrant relations” between the 2 international locations.

The working go to, which can run from February 8 till February 12, will embody a gathering with Japanese Prime Minister Kishida Fumio and an viewers with Emperor Naruhito. In an announcement delivered previous to his departure from Manila, Marcos described the journey as “important” and mentioned that it could deal with reinforcing the 2 nations’ ever-closer protection and funding ties.

The journey “is a component of a bigger international coverage agenda to forge nearer political ties, stronger protection, and safety cooperation, in addition to lasting financial partnerships with main international locations within the area amid a difficult international setting,” Marcos mentioned.

Whereas in Japan, he mentioned his group will work on additional strengthening “the bonds of friendship with a detailed neighbor, like-minded and future-oriented like us in some ways, and a most dependable accomplice in occasions of each crises and prosperity.”

In an announcement, the Philippine Division of International Affairs mentioned that Marcos will witness the signing of at the very least seven key agreements specializing in infrastructure improvement, protection, agriculture, and data and communications know-how. It additionally mentioned that he was anticipated to finalize $2.7 billion in funding offers that might create 8,000 jobs within the Philippines.

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Marcos’ go to to Japan – his ninth abroad journey since taking workplace in July of final yr – comes on the heels of a significant improve within the Philippines’ relationship with the US, through which Marcos’ administration agreed to offer U.S. forces entry to 4 further army bases, together with on the northern island of Luzon. The entry has been granted beneath the 2014 Enhanced Protection Cooperation Settlement (EDCA), which fell into abeyance beneath the administration of President Rodrigo Duterte, who spurned the nation’s U.S. alliance and pivoted the nation towards nearer relations with China.

Good relations with Japan, in the meantime, have been one of many constants of Philippine international relations courting proper again to 1977, when former Japanese Prime Minister Fukuda Takeo delivered his well-known “Fukuda Doctrine” speech in Manila. The speech instantly addressed imperial Japan’s brutal occupation of huge elements of Southeast Asia throughout World Struggle II and helped finish a darkish chapter of Tokyo’s relations with the area. Certainly, in more moderen occasions, Japan is without doubt one of the few nations that managed to keep up good relations with the Philippines via the lurching transition from the pro-American administration of Benigno Aquino III (2010-2016) to the tumultuous Duterte period, and now to the Marcos administration.

Particularly, Manila and Tokyo have in recent times augmented their long-standing financial ties – Japan was the primary nation to signal a free commerce settlement with the Philippines, in 2008 – with nearer protection cooperation.

The 2 nations signed a strategic partnership in 2011 and 5 years later, brokered a brand new protection settlement permitting the switch of protection gear and know-how from Japan to the Philippines. Since then, Japan has helped modernize the Philippine Coast Guard, and despatched observers to final yr’s Kamandag 6 battle video games between the U.S. and Philippine militaries, whereas boosting its personal bilateral army workout routines with the Philippine army.

This convergence displays their shared sense of menace from China, with which they each have unresolved maritime and territorial disputes, within the South China and East China seas, respectively. Each nations would additionally possible expertise the backwash from any battle over Taiwan, which lies between the 2 nations. So long as the regional tensions between China and the U.S. and its companions proceed, we will anticipate additional convergences between Tokyo and Manila.