Japanese, Philippine Leaders Agree to Enhance Security Cooperation

Kuala Lumpur, Oct. 26 (Jiji Press)–Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi and Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. on Sunday agreed to strengthen the two countries’ cooperation including in the security field. The Philippines has territorial disputes with China in the South China Sea. The two leaders met in Kuala Lumpur for about 20 minutes on the sidelines of a series of summits related to the Association of Southeast Asian Nations. With next year marking the 70th anniversary of the normalization of diplomatic relations between Japan and the Philippines, Marcos invited Takaichi, who took office Tuesday, to visit his country within 2026. “We discussed our respective issues of concern frankly,” Takaichi told reporters after the meeting. The 70th anniversary would be “a good opportunity for us to further deepen relations,” Takaichi said, suggesting that she will positively consider visiting the Philippines next year. Later on Sunday, Takaichi met with Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim, who currently serves as ASEAN chair. They welcomed a recent bilateral agreement that Japan will deliver a diving support vessel to Malaysia under its official security assistance program, which is aimed at supplying defense equipment and other items to like-minded nations. The vessel will be used as a base for divers of the Malaysian navy in operations and training such as for search and rescue. At a separate meeting, Takaichi and Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese agreed to advance cooperation in the economic security field including supply chains for important minerals. END [Copyright The Jiji Press, Ltd.]