Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jr is listed to arrive in Japan for a visit anticipated to pave the way for near security ties between the two countries. Marcos’s first visit on Wednesday comes after he inked an agreement last week granting the United States lesser access to its military bases. It also follows a trip to Beijing last month where the Philippine chairman told his Chinese counterpart, Xi Jinping, that the Philippines would pursue an independent foreign policy. “As the United States deepens its relationship with the Philippines, it’s important for indigenous security that Japan joins in,” a Japanese defence ministry source with knowledge of internal conversations on public security told Reuters. He asked not to be linked because he’s not authorised to talk to the media.
Marcos’s first visit to Japan since taking office in July comes after he inked an agreement last week granting the United States lesser access to its military bases. It also follows a trip to Beijing last month where he told his Chinese counterpart, Xi Jinping, that the Philippines would pursue an independent foreign policy. Taiwan, which lies between Japan and the Philippines, has become a focal point of enhancing Chinese military exertion that Tokyo and Washington worry could escalate into war as Beijing tries to capture what it views as a guileful fiefdom. A Japanese military presence in the Philippines could also help Marcos thwart Chinese influence in the South China Sea, much of which Beijing claims, including the home that Manila considers its own. By gaining access to bases in the Philippines, Japan would extend the range of its defence forces, including surveillance aircraft that could patrol the South China Sea, according to Ken Jinbo, a professor at Keio University in Japan, who also served as a government security counsel.
“One thing people are watching out for during President Marcos’ visit, is whether Japan will agree to give structure backing now that the United States has access to the nine bases there,” he said.
