World War II foes US, Japan express support for PHL

BATAAN—The United States and Japan, bitter enemies in World War II more than 70 years ago, both expressed support on Thursday for the Philippines and regional security in the Pacific as recently published images showed Chinese reclamation activities in the Philippines' exclusive economic zone.

In separate speeches during the celebration of Araw ng Kagitingan here, US Ambassador Philip Goldberg and Japanese Ambassador Kazuhide Ishikawa both pledged cooperation to secure the pacific region and the Philippines, particularly against maritime threats.  

“Recently, our collaboration has been expanding through security and defense cooperation, too. Our cooperation in maritime security issues based upon the rule of law is a good example," Ishikawa said.

"Just this January, two defense ministers signed a memorandum of defense cooperation and exchange in Tokyo,” he added.

While the Japanese Ambassador did not say specifically who is threatening the Philippines, it is a known fact that the country has been locked in a dispute with China over territories in the West Philippine Sea.

The holiday marks the surrender of Filipino and American soldiers in Bataan to the Japanese forces in 1942.

Ambassador Goldberg echoed the words of US President Barack Obama when he visited the country last year.

“Make no mistake, as President Obama said last year during his visit to Manila, ‘our commitment to the Philippines under our Mutual Defense Treaty is ironclad.’ In good times and bad, we stand together, shoulder-to-shoulder," Goldberg said.

"In 2015, as in 1942, we face challenges and threats together as partners, friends, and in many cases now, family. Whether we are fighting terrorism or responding to the devastation of natural disasters, we face them together. And when the Philippines is threatened, it is not alone,” he added.

Like Ishikawa, Goldberg also stressed the importance of the cooperation of the three countries, saying the Philippines, Japan and the United States are “strategic partners.”

“When we talk about the defense of our common interests and values, let us not forget that 70 years after the end of World War II, we are joined in our efforts to protect the security and defense of this region by Japan. Yesterday’s enemies are today’s allies and strategic partners—yet another legacy of the sacrifice and heroism of US and Filipino soldiers so long ago,” he said.

China is invoking its “nine-dash line” theory to claim almost the entire South China Sea, while the Philippines uses the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS) as basis for its claim.

Beijing earlier rejected international arbitration proceedings to settle its territorial dispute with the Philippines, insisting instead on bilateral talks.

In the same speech, Ishikawa also stressed the vastly improved relationship between and among the Philippines, Japan, and the United States.

“We are very pleased to work together with the Philippines, the United States, and all of our partners to this end. Seventy years ago, we were enemies. Now, we are friends, close friends. May this friendship be forever,” he said.

A Reuters report showed the work on Panganiban (Mischief) Reef is China's most recent reclamation in the disputed Spratly archipelago of the South China Sea (West Philippine Sea).

Reclamation is well advanced on six other reefs in the Spratlys, Reuters reported in February, activities that have alarmed other claimants and drawn criticism from Washington.
 
A March 16 image published by the Washington-based Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS) shows what it said were a chain of small artificial land formations as well as new structures, fortified seawalls and construction equipment along Panganiban Reef.
 
Several dredgers are also present while the entrance to the reef had been expanded, the CSIS Asia Maritime Transparency Initiative said on its website. http://amti.csis.org/
 
An image from Feb. 1 showed a Chinese amphibious transport naval vessel about several hundred meters from the reef's entrance. CSIS said such a ship was capable of holding up to 800 troops and as many as 20 amphibious armored vehicles.
 
Surveillance photos taken of Panganiban (Mischief) Reef in October and seen by Reuters showed no reclamation work.
 
In an interview with Japan's Yomiuri newspaper published on Wednesday, US Secretary of Defense Ash Carter expressed concern about China's reclamation in the Spratlys.
 
"We are especially concerned at the prospect of militarization of these outposts," said Carter, who is in Tokyo on his first visit to Asia as defense chief. —NB, GMA News