Philippines, Japan defense chiefs discuss strengthening bilateral cooperation

The top defense officials of the Philippines and Japan have discussed steps to strengthen their bilateral cooperation, the Department of National Defense (DND) said on Wednesday.

In a statement, the DND said officer-in-charge Senior Undersecretary Jose C. Faustino Jr. and Japanese Defense Minister Yasukasu Hamada had a meeting on the sidelines of an official visit in Hawaii on September 30.

Among the topics discussed during the meeting were the situation in the South and East China Seas as well as the possible conduct of maritime cooperative activities, technology transfers, and dialogues.

“The discussions during the meeting revolved around the current security developments in the region, particularly the situation in the South and East China Seas, and ways to strengthen Philippines-Japan bilateral defense cooperation through possible conduct of maritime cooperative activities, technology transfers, and dialogues at all levels, in order to address shared security challenges and advance cooperation,” the DND said.

The defense chiefs also agreed to discuss other frameworks of cooperation to further expand and deepen Philippines-Japan bilateral relations and mutual support to achieve a secure and stable environment.

According to them, the discussion was an important follow-on engagement from the meeting between President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. and Prime Minister Kishida Fumio on the sidelines of the United Nations General Assembly on September 21.

On September 23, then-Press Secretary Trixie Cruz-Angeles said Marcos and Kishida were eyeing further discussions on the maritime issues in the South China Sea. — Joviland Rita/RSJ, GMA News