The defense chiefs of the Philippines and Japan discussed strategies to counter narratives from other nations and China's “unilateral attempts” to disrupt the international order.

In a bilateral meeting on Monday, Defense Secretary Gilberto “Gibo” Teodoro Jr. emphasized the “robust, enduring, and strong” defense ties between the Philippines and Japan, particularly in multilateral security collaborations.

“We look forward to the discussions this morning, including enhancing our partnerships with shared values of the rules-based international order, a free and open Indo-Pacific, a resilient Japan and the Philippines against unilateral attempts by China and other countries to change the international order, and the narrative,” Teodoro said on the sidelines of the Defense Ministerial Meeting in Makati City.

Meanwhile, Japan’s Minister of Defense Nakatani Gen underscored the growing strategic partnership between Manila and Tokyo.

“I would like to welcome that our bilateral relationship has been developed to become strategic partners, and a significant advancement has been made in the areas of cooperation,” he said.

Nakatani highlighted increasing security challenges in the region and the need for stronger defense ties between Japan and the Philippines to maintain peace and stability.

“As the regional and international security environment have become increasingly complex and intensified, there is an increasing need for Japan and the Philippines to further enhance defense cooperation and collaboration in order to contribute to the peace and stability in the region and the international community,” Nakatani said in Japanese.

“Under such a harsh security environment, I look forward to a deep strategic discussion with you from the broader perspective, in order to raise the level of our defense cooperation and collaboration between Japan and the Philippines to an even higher level,” he added.

Teodoro and Nakatani reaffirmed their commitment to strengthening bilateral defense ties, including the implementation of the Reciprocal Access Agreement (RAA), joint military exercises, intelligence sharing, and coordinated security policies to address emerging threats.

The two nations are also engaged in ongoing capacity-building programs and regional security cooperation. The meeting highlighted Japan’s continued support for the modernization of the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) through its Official Security Assistance (OSA) Program.

Both sides expressed anticipation for further engagements, including Tokyo’s hosting of the 3rd Philippines-Japan Defense and Foreign Affairs Ministerial Meeting (2+2) later this year and other multilateral defense dialogues.