Japan’s prime minister has toured a Philippine patrol ship in a symbolic show of support as Tokyo shores up regional alliances to counter China’s assertiveness in maritime disputes with its neighbors
Japan Coast Guard Commandant Admiral Shohei Ishii, right, and Philippine Coast Guard Commandant Admiral Ronnie Gil Gavan, left, visit the BRP Teresa Magbanua ship at the Philippine Coast Guard headquarters on Saturday, Nov. 4, 2023 in Manila, Philippines. -long Magbanua. Manila’s coast guard largely uses the ships for sovereignty patrols and to transport supplies and rotating navy and marine personnel to nine Philippines-occupied island, islets and reefs in the strategic South China Sea.
That has put the Philippine ships on a collision course with China's massive coast guard and navy fleets in the South China Sea, which China claims virtually in its entirety. Aside from China and the Philippines, Vietnam, Malaysia, Brunei andThe Philippines has strongly protested the Chinese coast guard’s use of blinding laser light and water cannon in separate incidents this year and its blockade that led to two minor collisions last month near the disputed Second Thomas Shoal.
In August, as the Magbanua tried to approach the shoal, which has been surrounded for years by China's vessels, its crew saw a Chinese coast guard ship maneuver into blocking position with its 70 mm armament uncovered, according to the Philippine coast guard. In their talks on Friday in Manila, Kishida and Marcos agreed to start negotiations for a key defense pact called the Reciprocal Access Agreement that would allow their troops to enter each other’s territory for joint military exercises.
The Japanese premier also announced that coastal surveillance radars would be provided to the Philippine navy under a new security grant program that aims to help strengthen the militaries of friendly countries..In the first-ever speech by a Japanese premier before a joint session of the Philippine Congress on Saturday, Kishida pledged to continue helping bolster the capability of the Philippine military and maritime agencies.
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