TOKYO, Japan — President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. praised the Japanese government Thursday for its commitment to peaceful negotiations, framing the bilateral alliance as a critical counterweight to rising tensions in the Indo-Pacific.

In a rare address before a joint session of the National Diet, Japan’s bicameral parliament, Marcos emphasized that both maritime democracies remain unified in upholding international law over raw force.

The comments come as both Manila and Tokyo navigate separate, long-running maritime disputes with China.

“Peace is the foundation upon which our shared prosperity is built, and from which new possibilities can emerge,” Marcos said. “From the ashes of war, the Philippines and Japan chose reconciliation over division, and cooperation over indifference.”

Marcos cited that the adherence to a rules-based order protects smaller nations in a volatile geopolitical climate.

He added that all states are equal under international law, regardless of size or power, and must remain free to pursue development without facing coercion.

Marcos also looked ahead to July, which will mark the 10th anniversary of the 2016 arbitral tribunal ruling in The Hague. That landmark decision invalidated China’s expansive claims in the South China Sea, a ruling Beijing has repeatedly rejected.

He cited the anniversary as proof of his country’s long-standing determination to resolve territorial disputes through peaceful legal mechanisms.