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Manila Bulletin devider Philippines devider National devider Japan Prime Minister Kishida arrives in Manila; WPS, enhanced aid in agenda

Japan Prime Minister Kishida arrives in Manila; WPS, enhanced aid in agenda

Published Nov 3, 2023 08:06 am

Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida arrived in the Philippines on Friday afternoon in a move seen to counter Beijing's aggression against Manila.

Kishida's schedule in the country would include a meeting with President Marcos, with whom he is expected to discuss issues on the West Philippine Sea (WPS) and Japan's Official Development Assistance (ODA), according to Malacañang.

The West Philippine Sea has recently been the point of concern of several nations, including the Philippines and Japan, amid China's incursive and aggressive activities there.​

Tokyo vowed to ensure the status quo in the Indo-Pacific as Beijing continues to claim the West Philippine Sea as its own despite the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS) that has been affirmed by the 2016 Arbitral Ruling issued in The Hague.

Kishida and Marcos are expected during their meeting​ on Friday to discuss allowing each others' troops access to their respective countries and sharing military equipment, according to Japanese media.

​That would happen once the Reciprocal Access Agreement (RAA) between Tokyo and Manila is signed by both leaders.

​The Philippines would be the third country with which Japan would have an RAA after Australia and the United Kingdom, and the first in the ASEAN.

​Before proceeding to the Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) and g​etting aboard BRP Teresa Magbanua​ on Saturday, Kishida will first address a joint session of the Philippine Congress—the first for a Japanese prime minister​.​

​An earlier statement from the Philippine Senate said it was Senate President Migz Zubiri who invited Kishida to speak before the Filipino legislators.

The Senate also said it was Zubiri "who broached the idea of the possibility of a Reciprocal Access Agreement (RAA) with Japan, an enhanced security arrangement."

As the Philippines recently withdrew from its request for development assistance from China, Japan, on the other hand, pledged to continue with its investments in the Philippines' big-ticket projects.

Japanese Ambassador to the Philippines Koshikawa Kazuhiko made the promise as he said there is room for the Philippines and Japan's partnership "to grow even further" considering that both countries have "very strong, solid economic ties."

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