President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. and Japanese Prime Minister Kishida Fumio will discuss the situation in the West Philippine Sea when the latter visits Manila today and tomorrow.
Marcos and Kishida will also discuss how the two countries can work together on issues like politics, security, and the economy, Malacañang said on Thursday.
The Japanese leader's visit comes amid heightened tension between Manila and Beijing after Chinese and Philippine ships collided in Ayungin Shoal.
In August, Marcos had talked about Japan's part in keeping the peace and safety in the wider South China Sea, which overlaps with the West Philippine Sea. The President said that the Philippines and Japan's bilateral and multilateral partnerships and agreements have helped keep the area stable, which has a lot of natural resources.
Aside from Japan, the United States, Canada and Australia have expressed concern over China's aggressive actions in the WPS, which Beijing claims to be part of its territory despite a 2016 arbitral ruling that said otherwise.
The Permanent Court of Arbitration ruling in The Hague recognized the WPS as part of the Philippines' 200-nautical mile exclusive economic zone.
Marcos and Kishida are also expected to discuss Japan's Official Development Assistance.
"(Both the Filipino and Japanese officials) will also exchange views on major regional, international, and United Nations issues affecting the region and the world," DFA said.
In February 2023, President Marcos went to Japan on an official trip. While there, he signed deals worth $13 billion that were expected to create thousands of jobs for Filipinos.
Marcos met with Kishida and had an imperial audience with Emperor Naruhito and Empress Masako.
A special joint session of the Philippine Congress will be held on Saturday at the Batasang Pambansa building in Quezon City to hear Kishida's address.
"Definitely, the Philippines stands to gain greatly from it. I'll say it again: it shows the real definition of what it means to be friends with the Philippines, unlike other nations who claim to be our friends but behave differently, Villanueva told Senate reporters in a virtual interview," Senate Majority Leader Joel Villanueva said.
When asked what country he was referring to, Villanueva said it was the one that had "been bullying us and very aggressive in bullying us in our own territory."
Villanueva said Kishida's visit to the Philippines would also be an opportunity to finalize a security agreement between Tokyo and Manila.
"Prime Minister Kishida aims to lay down the groundwork for a new security treaty with our country, the Philippines, and we are happy because of the expansion of its network, which they called 'quasi-allies' for joint training in the Indo-Pacific," he said.
On Wednesday, Japanese Chief Cabinet Secretary Hirokazu Matsuno said the Philippines and Japan are in final negotiations on an official security assistance program with Manila.
According to Hirokazu, Tokyo and Manila are finalizing equipment details and agreement signing.
Villanueva added Marcos and Kishida are expected to discuss the Reciprocal Access Agreement, a military agreement that aims to bolster the defense forces of the Philippines and Japan.
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