Japan, Philippines Leaders Vow to Deepen Security Ties

Japan's Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba (centre L) and Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos (centre R) shake hands for press cameras before the start of a bilateral meeting at the Malacanang Palace in Manila on April 29, 2025. (Photo by Rolex DELA PENA / POOL / AFP)

The leaders of Japan and the Philippines pledged in Manila on Tuesday to deepen security ties, including increased intelligence sharing, as they grapple with territorial disputes with China.

Japanese Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba, on his first visit to the Philippines since assuming office in October, said both leaders opposed “attempts to change the status quo in the East China Sea and the South China Sea by force or coercion.”

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by Agence France-Presse

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