Japan offers Asia leadership

Japan vowed to help "enhance" the country's security capabilities amid the intensifying West Philippine Sea rift as Prime Minister Fumio Kishida on Saturday expressed his determination to lead the world "toward cooperation rather than division and confrontation."

Addressing a joint session of Congress, Kishida said the robust trilateral cooperation among the Philippines, the United States and Japan will be the linchpin of security in the region.

"The international community is currently at a historic turning point, and the international order based on the rule of law is under serious threat," Kishida said.

"Japan will continue to contribute to the enhancement of the Philippines' security capabilities, thereby contributing to regional peace and stability," he said.

According to the Japanese leader, a trilateral cooperation to safeguard the freedom of passage in the West Philippine Sea should be based on laws and rules and not force or coercion.

Japan, one of the country's strongest allies, is working out a defense compact with the Philippines. It delivered 12 ships to the Philippine Coast Guard to enhance its maritime security capability.

China stubbornly rejects the 2016 landmark ruling of the Permanent Court of Arbitration in the Hague, denying Beijing's claim to an extensive maritime domain. The Philippine government has recently condemned China's persistent encroachment in the WPS, asserting its right over the waterway that falls within the country's EEZ.

Japan and China have been at odds over the Senkaku islands, which Beijing refers to as the Diaoyu.

Kishida also outlined the future direction of the cooperation between Japan and the Association of Southeast Asian Nations.

He pointed out the need to avoid dividing the international community, which already is facing complex challenges.

It is essential to build a peaceful and stable world in which everyone can "live with dignity," Kishida said.

Indo-Pacific alliance

In a speech during his visit to India in March, Kishida unveiled a plan to promote a free and open Indo-Pacific, a Japan-led initiative aimed at curbing China's increasing regional assertiveness and maintaining a rules-based international order.

The new plan includes fundamental principles that the world should uphold to address global issues, Kishida said, pledging to bolster support to other nations for infectious disease control and sustainable economic growth.

Kishida became the first Japanese prime minister to deliver a speech before Congress.

As for the ties between Japan and the Philippines, Kishida voiced hope that the two democracies would cooperate in various fields, such as nuclear disarmament and decarbonization.

Kishida also praised the significant progress in Japan-Philippines relations over the past half-century, promising to make every effort to ensure that the strong bilateral friendship would continue to develop.

Speaker Martin Romualdez thanked Kishida, saying his address to Congress fortifies the bridge between the country and Japan as great friends.

Senate President Juan Miguel Zubiri also underscored "the strong, dynamic and lasting partnership between Japan and the Philippines," with both countries sharing the universal values of freedom and democracy.

"Japan is one of the closest friends of the Philippines today. In terms of Overseas Development Assistance, Japan is the highest contributor and has the highest number of companies in the country," he said.

"In other words, they are one of our contributors to our high growth rate in the Philippines. And, to show our appreciation for this historic visit, we asked Prime Minister Kishida to address both Houses of Congress in a joint session," Zubiri said.

Future-oriented ties

Meanwhile, President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. hoped that a strategic partnership between Japan and the Philippines would become "robust and future-oriented."

Marcos reaffirmed the government's commitment to sustaining its robust bilateral relationship with the Japanese government during Friday's state banquet for Kishida at Malacañang.

He said the 67-year-old Philippines-Japan relations "have been cultivated by common principles of democracy, respect for basic human rights, and the rule of law."