Prime Minister Shinzo Abe and President Benigno Aquino III shake hands as they hold bilateral talks Saturday morning in Malacanang. Among others, Tokyo confirmed its readiness to provide Manila with yen loan-funded 10 coast guard ships to boost its maritime capacity, as the two allies discussed a common concern: China's muscle-flexing in Asian waters. MALACANANG PHOTO BUREAU
Visiting Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe unveiled a plan at a meeting Saturday with Philippine President Benigno Aquino III to provide Manila with 10 coast guard patrol ships through a yen loan to help it counter an increasingly assertive China.
In a bid to help achieve peace on Mindanao, where the Philippines' largest Muslim rebel group is in conflict with the government, Abe also spelled out a new package of official development assistance aimed at building schools and clinics, and developing personnel for an autonomous political entity to be established.
"Relations between Japan and the Philippines are rooted in their long-term friendly history and exchanges," Abe told a joint news conference with Aquino after their summit in Manila, pledging to further strengthen bilateral ties through new Japanese assistance.
The Japanese government is placing more importance on its relationship with the Philippines, and is committed to boost its maritime security and capabilities, Mr. Abe stressed.
As both countries share the common problem of dealing with China’s muscle-flexing in the South and East China Seas, Tokyo now has a very strong interest in its relationship with Manila, the Japanese Prime Minister said on Saturday.
Abe met with President Aquino on Saturday morning at Malacanang Palace to discuss four areas of cooperation including the plan to boost maritime cooperation.
After a closed-door bilateral meeting which took less than an hour, Mr. Aquino said in his statement that both countries have “pledged to cooperate in advancing a common advocacy for responsible action from international players” by “upholding the rule of law”.
Common advocacy: responsible action amid sea rows
Aquino added, "The Prime Minister and I agreed to strengthen maritime cooperation, which is a pillar of our strategic relationship."
The President added: “We reviewed the security challenges that confront our nations, and pledged to cooperate in advancing our common advocacy for responsible action from international players. We believe that can be done by upholding the rule of law in international affairs, and by finding just and peaceful solutions to our territorial disputes and maritime concerns—so that we may create a secure and stable environment that leads to our collective progress.”
For his part, Abe conveyed Tokyo's commitment to continue to assist the Philippines in capacity building.
Abe’s two-day visit came as tensions rose between China and Japan after Chinese vessels were for the first time seen intruding into Japanese waters in the disputed area of the East China Sea, where they are both claiming a chain of islands that Japan calls Senkakus and China, Diaoyus. The report from Japan came just two days after Beijing unveiled its integrated coast guard that combines the assets and functions of four services, resulting in more ships being armed, and ready to conduct more maritime patrols.
The Philippines also has an ongoing territorial dispute with China which it says continues to intrude in its waters, even harvesting natural resources.
However, the Philippines has very little capability to protect its maritime territory.
10 patrol vessels from Japan
“The Philippine Coast Guard and I have announced that we will provide ten patrol vessels by Yen loan,” Abe confirmed, although he did not specify when the 10 multirole response vessels will be turned over to Manila.
On Friday, Department of Foreign Affairs spokesman Raul Hernandez said that the loan request of the Philippines is still “under consideration”.
No intimidation
Japan also vowed there will be no intimidation in resolving the territorial dispute with China.
From the conversation he had with US Vice President Joe
Biden, Abe said both of them agreed that the right tack is to continue to
“contribute peace in the region”.
Resolving the matter is not through “intimidation but by rule of law,” Abe said.
Aside from strengthening maritime cooperation, Japan and the Philippines agreed to develop both their economies’ vitality, strengthen assistance for the Mindanao peace process, and strongly promote people-to-people exchange.
“I continue to place high expectations on the President to arrive at a decision to adopt the Japanese system for Digital Terrestrial Television, and we agreed to promote cooperation in terms of transportation infrastructure in Metro Manila,” he said.
Aquino said he welcomed the technical assistance provided by the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) in developing a Transport Roadmap Study for Metro Manila and its Surrounding Areas.
On the Mindanao peace process, Abe said both Japan and the Philippines have created a very accurate and leading-edge topographical mapping of Mindanao.
Both countries have agreed to promote tourism in addition to the relaxation of visa requirements starting July, by, among others, expanding the Civil Aviation relationship between Japan and the Philippines
Meanwhile, Aquino said he looks forward to the commemorative summit in Tokyo this December, the 40th year of friendship between the Association of Southeast Asian Nations and Japan.
"The relationship between Japan and ASEAN serves as a cornerstone of harmony and dialogue in our part of the world," he said.
Abe visited Malaysia, Singapore and the Philippines to boost cooperation with its neighbours and monitor China’s actions beyond the East China Sea, whose territories are both being claimed by Beijing and Tokyo.
“With my visit to Malaysia, Singapore and the Philippines, I intend to receive the strategic diplomacy not only to Japan’s national interest but also regional and global peace and prosperity,” Abe said in his opening statement during a press conference on Saturday.
He sees that the Association of the Southeast Asian Nation is an important “partner for stability and prosperity of Asia Pacific region to which attached priority from vast perspective of economic growth and security”.
“All three leaders that I met during my visit indicated stronger expectation for the Japanese economy to revitalize, embracing the vitality of Asia and for Japan to play a more active role within this region,” he said.
“We agreed to strengthen wide ranging cooperation with the countries with whom we share fundamental values such as the rule of law and human rights,” he added.
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