MANILA/TOKYO – The Philippines and Japan agreed on May 28 to begin negotiations on an intelligence-sharing pact and the delimitation of their maritime borders, as the two countries elevated their ties amid China’s growing assertiveness in the East and South China seas. Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi and Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jr made the announcement in a joint press conference in Tokyo, the highlight of the latter’s four-day state visit that itself was a milestone. It was the first state visit by a Philippine
leader to Tokyo in over a decade and coincided with the 70th anniversary of two nations’ diplomatic relations. “We jointly announced the commencement of the negotiation for the General Security of Military Information Agreement (GSOMIA), as well as for the delimitation of our maritime borders,” Mr Marcos said. “These are very important steps to further strengthen our defence cooperation and to uphold a rules-based maritime order.” Ms Takaichi said the two countries had also agreed to accelerate talks on the transfer of Abukuma-class destroyer escort
vessels and other defence equipment to Manila. The Abukuma-class, a six-ship fleet of coastal defence vessels commissioned by Japan’s Maritime Self-Defence Force between 1989 and 1993, would, if transferred, mark Tokyo’s first export of lethal military equipment under its revised defence export principles. This will help bridge a capability gap for a Philippine Navy that is significantly outgunned by China. “We will continue to deepen cooperation with the Philippines to address the increasingly challenging strategic environment in the region,” she said. The intelligence-sharing pact would
establish protocols on how sensitive military data would be shared and protected. Japan has similar agreements with the United States, Australia and South Korea, while Manila signed one with Washington in 2024. The talks on maritime border delimitation, meanwhile, signals a formal effort to define boundaries between Japan and the Philippines, which share overlapping maritime interests and a common wariness about China’s assertive behaviour in the East China Sea and South China Sea respectively. The groundwork had already been laid. The Reciprocal Access Agreement, which
allows each country’s forces to enter the other’s territory for joint drills and disaster relief, took effect in September 2025. Four months later, Tokyo and Manila signed an acquisition and cross-servicing agreement governing the sharing of military supplies and services. Geopolitical analysts say the latest announcements on the GSOMIA and maritime border delimitation were the next logical step and the most consequential yet for Japan-Philippines ties. Associate Professor Kei Koga from the Nanyang Technological University said the pace reflects a shared assessment of a shifting
strategic environment. “Given growing uncertainty over US commitment to regional security in the Indo-Pacific, Japan and the Philippines are strengthening defence cooperation to help fill potential gaps,” he told The Straits Times. But the goal, he added, was not to replace Washington. “Both countries are seeking to do more to enhance their own defence capabilities and coordination, so they can become more resilient even if US commitment weakens.” Associate Professor Yusuke Takagi of the National Graduate Institute for Policy Studies in Tokyo noted that robust
Japan-Philippine ties can stabilise the region, as both are island nations with a strong interest in ensuring a rule-based maritime order by protecting sea lanes.He also cautioned against reading the relationship purely through the lens of the rivalry between the US and China in the Indo-Pacific.“There is an institutional dimension that has evolved, especially after the launch of the strategic partnership between Japan and the Philippines in 2011,” he said. “The bilateral ties have been strengthened despite several changes of political leadership in the two
countries”. The strong ties would have been unthinkable not long ago. Japan occupied the Philippines during World War II, leaving wounds that took decades to reckon with. Today, Manila counts Tokyo among its strongest security partners, a transformation driven in no small part by a shared unease about Beijing’s behaviour in the waters both countries depend on. Beijing claims the Senkaku Islands – calling them the Diaoyu Islands – in the East China Sea while asserting sovereignty over nearly the entire South China Sea, where
its coast guard ships have repeatedly confronted Philippine vessels near disputed shoals. Before the joint press conference on May 28, Mr Marcos addressed Japan’s National Diet, where he said both countries are committed to “ensuring that our seas remain open, secure and governed by rules and not by force”. Prof Koga noted that closer security ties between Manila and Tokyo would likely draw criticism from Beijing, which would view it as part of a containment strategy. For ASEAN, of which the Philippines is chair in
2026, the impact of closer Tokyo-Manila ties depends on how the two countries frame this cooperation. “If presented as supporting regional stability and ASEAN-centred cooperation, it would be more acceptable; if seen as an exclusive anti-China bloc, it could create concern,” he said. Ms Takaichi framed the stronger partnership with Manila as “crucial for realising an evolved free and open Indo-Pacific”, adding that the comprehensive strategic partnership reflected a “mutual commitment to strengthening our relationship sustainably and in a multi-layered manner, regardless of changes in
the international environment”. Cooperation beyond security Beyond defence, the two sides signed agreements on double taxation avoidance and new cooperation in agriculture and fisheries, health services, space development, artificial intelligence, energy security and supply chain resilience. Japanese businesses also committed US$3.4 billion (S$4.4 billion) worth of investments in the Philippines during a high-level roundtable attended by Manila’s trade and tourism secretaries. On trade, Ms Takaichi said Tokyo and Manila would proceed with discussions towards upgrading the Japan-Philippines Economic Partnership Agreement, which marks its 20th anniversary
in September, as well as the Japan-ASEAN Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement. The leaders also discussed the impact of the US-Israeli conflict with Iran on their countries. Both are heavily dependent on Middle East oil imports and have been rattled by supply disruptions since the war erupted in late February. Under Japan’s POWERR Asia initiative, a US$10 billion regional energy resilience fund, Ms Takaichi said Tokyo would strengthen support for resilient supply chains, including stockpiling in the Philippines and joint stockpiling within ASEAN. Mr Marcos, meanwhile,
said Manila wants to expand renewable energy cooperation with Tokyo. Japan also said it would support the Philippines’ bid for a non-permanent seat on the United Nations Security Council in next week’s election, a commitment included in the joint statement. The visit, the two leaders said, marks not just an anniversary but a new direction towards stronger ties. “It is my hope that the openness to what lies ahead, to new ideas, new horizons, and possibilities yet imagined that the Philippines and Japan may continue
to build a future worthy of our shared aspirations,” said Mr Marcos.
GSOMIA, maritime border delimitation, Abukuma-class destroyer escorts, Japan Philippines relations, intelligence-sharing pact, Reciprocal Access Agreement, POWERR Asia, energy resilience fund, ASEAN 2026 chair