Japan vows to equip Phl anew amid China's aggressive actions in WPS

Japan has once again pledged to equip the Philippines with the necessary defense equipment in the face of China's aggressive actions in the hotly contested West Philippine Sea (WPS).

Ex-Defense Minister Itsunori Onodera, now a ruling-party member of the Japanese parliament, said Friday that he met with Defense Secretary Gilberto Teodoro Jr. to discuss deepened defense collaboration between the two countries, including the transfer of defense equipment such as radars, which would be "very effective" to the Philippines.

"Based on the change in the policy, we could also jointly develop defense equipment, as well as manufacture defense equipment with the other countries," Onodora said in a press conference in Pasay City.

"The challenges in the West Philippines Sea that the country faces are legitimate concerns for the international community. In fact, in the regional peace and stability, we oppose any attempt to unilateral change in the status quo by force or any action that will escalate tension," he lamented.

Japanese lawmaker Yoshiaki Wada, on the one hand, said that apart from the defense assents, Japan is also committed to providing "defense training and any assistance that the Philippines may need" to forfend the recurrence of the 17 June chaotic faceoff between the Filipino troops and Chinese Coast Guard in Ayungin Shoal that severely injured a Philippine Navy personnel.

"The pain and the agony that the Philippines is getting from China especially in the West Philippines Sea is what Japan has been receiving from China in sacred islands and other some west parts of Japan. In short, we are in the same boat," Wada said.

Wada also condemned the recent provocation of China toward the Philippines' resupply boats, calling it an "act of piracy."

"Any severe instance occurring in the Indo-Pacific area will [cause] severe economic damage to Japan and Philippines and other countries as well," he said.

Japanese lawmaker Matsukawa Rui, for her part, underscored that Japan and the Philippines, whom she deemed natural business partners, also share the "same threat" and "feeling."

Similar to the Philippines, Japan is also at odds with China over contested waters claimed by both countries in the East China Sea. Beijing claims it as Diaoyu Island, while Tokyo claims it as Senkaku Island.

The Philippines and Japan are expected to hold high-level defense and security talks in July to bolster their bilateral and defense ties amid China's continuing intrusion into the WPS.

Japan is said to have negotiated with the Philippines for a defense pact allowing the two countries to deploy troops on each other's territory.

China has territorial claims in nearly the entire South China Sea (SCS), which overlaps the WPS, notwithstanding a 2016 arbitral ruling that deemed its sovereignty assertion baseless. The ruling affirmed the Philippines' 200-nautical mile exclusive economic zone in the WPS.