​Japanese Ambassador to the Philippines Endo Kazuya said relations between Manila and Tokyo continue to grow because they are "strategic partners" that are both allied to the United States.

Kazuya on Tuesday, March 24, attended a high-level forum that celebrated the 70th anniversary of Japan and the Philippines' normalization of diplomatic relations, where he cited "how far we have become" in terms of relations.

Kazuya said it is heartening to know that the cooperation between the two sides is "deepening and expanding steadily across all fields" as he noted that 74 percent of Filipinos find Japan as a most reliable economic and security partner.

With the Philippines and Japan both attempting to counter China's maritime claims in South and East China Seas, the ambassador found the two countries treating each other as strategic partners.

Japan, the Philippines' most proximate military partner, has been providing military assistance to the country and is backing up in its fight for the West Philippine Sea against China.

"Why are our cooperations growing? Because we recognize each other as strategic partners," he said.

"As maritime nations located along significant sea lanes in a close neighborhood, both allied with the United States, and facing similar challenges against maritime order, our security cooperation is a natural necessity," Kazuya said.

The ambassador believed that Manila and Tokyo's "bilateral friendship can serve as a role model for others."

"Because the sense of competition and resentment still sometimes prevails in other relations," he argued.

Meanwhile, during the forum that was organized by Stratbase Institute, experts stressed that cooperation between the two sides was no longer a choice “but a requirement."

Stratbase President Dindo Manhit said that the current geopolitical climate was “not a normal moment," thus it demanded stronger, more decisive partnerships especially between trusted countries.

"In a region where the stakes continue to rise, the Philippines and Japan have both the opportunity and the responsibility to work together—to strengthen economic resilience, enhance security cooperation, and uphold the principles that keep our region stable and open," he said.

Kazuya agreed, saying the two countries’ relations are now entering a "golden age" as cooperation is "deepening and extending steadily across all fields."