Japan's new foreign minister has reaffirmed his country's support in upholding the 2016 arbitral ruling that favored the Philippines in its maritime dispute with China in the South China Sea.

The Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) said this was conveyed by Japanese Foreign Minister Hayashi Yoshimasa during a phone call with DFA Secretary Teodoro Locsin Jr. on Dec. 8.

According to the DFA, "Minister Hayashi expressed his strong opposition to unilateral attempts to change by force the status quo in the East and South China Seas."

Locsin said that the Philippines values Japan’s statements of support for the Arbitral Award and for an international law-based order in the South China Sea.

HE further said that Japan's "formal demonstrations of support send a message of respect for outcomes of diplomatic and legal processes, as well as strengthen the legal order over the seas."

The Philippine top diplomat also echoed President Duterte’s statement at the 13th ASEM Summit Retreat that “there can be no other acceptable basis for a just maritime order but the law, particularly the 1982 UNCLOS."

"All countries – big and small – must adhere to the rule of law faithfully and consistently. Otherwise, there will be chaos,” the President said.

The two ministers likewise discussed key areas of both nations bilateral cooperation, including the response on COVID-19 pandemic, the Mindanao peace process, and maritime security and safety.

Locsin conveyed appreciation for Japan’s vaccine donation, emergency grant assistance, crisis response support program, and loan packages that contributed greatly to the Philippines’ pandemic response and recovery efforts.

Japan provided the Philippines with more than three million doses of Japan-manufactured AstraZeneca vaccines. In 2020, Japan is the Philippines’ top source of development assistance.

The two ministers also exchanged views on various regional and multilateral issues such as developments in Myanmar, the issue on North Korea including support for measures to address the abduction of Japanese nationals, and the two countries’ commitment to the non-proliferation of nuclear weapons.

Advancing concrete cooperation to realize a Free and Open Indo-Pacific (FOIP) and on the ASEAN Outlook for the Indo-Pacific (AOIP) was likewise discussed. They also agreed to cooperate on the commemoration of the 50th anniversary of the ASEAN-Japan Friendship and Cooperation in 2023.

Following the consensus reached by President Duterte and Japanese Prime Minister Kishida Fumio last month, both sides agreed to promote the early launch of the Foreign and Defense Ministerial Meeting (2+2) for a deeper security engagement and coordination between the two countries.

The DFA said the phone call provided an opportunity to renew the two nations' commitment to a wider and deeper partnership at the close of 2021, which marks the 65th anniversary of normalization of diplomatic relations and the 10th anniversary of the two countries’ strategic partnership.