PH, Japan defense chiefs discuss China, other nations' efforts vs int'l order

The defense heads of the Philippines and Japan on Monday met to discuss the attempts of China and other countries to disrupt international order.

Philippine Defense Secretary Gilberto Teodoro Jr. and Japanese Defense Minister Gen Nakatani met in a hotel in Makati City for the defense ministerial meeting between the two countries.

“We look forward to the discussions this morning into even enhancing our partnerships with the shared values of a rules-based international order, a free and open Indo-Pacific, a resilient Japan and the Philippines against unilateral attempts by China and other countries to change the international order and the narrative,” Teodoro said in his opening remarks.

Defense Secretary Gilberto Teodoro, Jr. meets Japanese Defense Minister Nakatani Gen for their bilateral defense ministerial meeting in Makati City. @gmanews pic.twitter.com/nd07Y7VoQF

— Ian Cruz (@_iancruz) February 24, 2025

For his part, Nakatani noted that the regional and international security environment is “complex,” “intensified,” and “harsh” so the two countries need to boost their defense ties.

“As the regional and international security environment have become increasingly complex and intensified, there is an increasing need for Japan and the Philippines to further enhance defense cooperation and collaboration in order to contribute to the peace and stability in the region and the international community,” Nakatani said in Japanese.

“Under such harsh security environment, I look forward to a deep strategic discussion with you from the broader perspective, in order to raise the level of our defense cooperation and collaboration between Japan and the Philippines to an even higher level,” he added.

Before the meeting, Nakatani on Sunday visited the Basa Air Base in Floridablanca, Pampanga, and the Wallace Air Station in San Fernando, La Union, where radar systems bought from Japan in 2024 are stationed.

A reciprocal access agreement between the two countries is currently awaiting ratification in Japan, which would provide the basis for the cooperation between the troops of the two countries, similar to the Visiting Forces Agreement between the Philippines and the United States.

Leaders from the Philippines, the United States, and Japan in April 2024 released a Joint Vision Statement indicating the possibility of more combined naval training and exercises together, with Manila set to receive support for its defense modernization priorities.

Before this, naval and air forces of the three countries and Australia conducted a multilateral maritime cooperative activity (MMCA) in the West Philippine Sea, in line with their commitment to strengthen regional and international cooperation. —KG, GMA Integrated News