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The Mainichi
3 days ago
- Business
- The Mainichi
Japan eyes closer ties with Philippines, Cambodia via security aid
TOKYO (Kyodo) -- Japanese Foreign Minister Takeshi Iwaya expressed eagerness to enhance ties with the Philippines and Cambodia through security aid as he met separately with their top diplomats in Tokyo on Wednesday, in the face of China's growing influence in Southeast Asia. On the economic front, Iwaya agreed with Enrique Manalo from the Philippines to further cooperate in infrastructure development, while he underscored the importance of enhancing the multilateral free trade system with Cambodia's Prak Sokhonn, the Japanese Foreign Ministry said. Reflecting the rapidly advancing ties with the Philippines, Iwaya said the partnership between Tokyo and Manila has evolved into a "near-alliance status" and called for joint efforts to realize a "free and open Indo-Pacific." Iwaya and Manalo also agreed to hold maritime talks involving senior officials and a vice-minister-level strategic dialogue later this year, the ministry said. The two countries share concerns over Beijing's maritime assertiveness, with Chinese vessels acting aggressively against Philippine ships near disputed shoals in the South China Sea and repeatedly entering waters around the Japan-controlled, China-claimed Senkaku Islands in the East China Sea. Japan has already decided to provide the Philippine military with coastal surveillance radar under the Official Security Assistance program launched in 2023 aimed at deepening security ties with like-minded partners. Cambodia, which has been deepening its ties with China economically and militarily, is not among the selected recipients under the program. But Iwaya conveyed to Sokhonn Japan's desire to advance discussion on the provision of defense equipment, according to the ministry. Touching on the China-funded Ream Naval Base in southwestern Cambodia, which Japanese defense force ships docked at in April, Iwaya said he would like to see port calls of vessels from various countries in the future leading it to become a "more open base." The Japanese foreign minister also confirmed that Tokyo will work with Cambodia to try and diversify its trading partners amid U.S. President Donald Trump's aggressive tariff measures, which have roiled global trade. Cambodia currently relies heavily on the United States and China.
Newsweek
22-04-2025
- Politics
- Newsweek
China Warns Neighbor for Welcoming US Missiles Onto Territory
Based on facts, either observed and verified firsthand by the reporter, or reported and verified from knowledgeable sources. Newsweek AI is in beta. Translations may contain inaccuracies—please refer to the original content. China issued a warning as U.S. and Philippine forces kicked off three weeks of joint military exercises. For the first time, the drills will include an American ship killing missile system to strategic islands in the Luzon Strait, seen as a potential choke point separating the defense treaty ally from China-claimed Taiwan. Newsweek reached out to the Philippine military and the U.S. Department of Defense for comment. Why It Matters The Philippines is part of the so-called First Island Chain, stretching southward from Japan to Indonesia, that Washington considers key to containing the Chinese navy in the event of a conflict, such as an invasion of Taiwan, which Beijing's ruling Chinese Communist Party claims, despite never having governed there. During his visit to Manila, U.S. defense chief Pete Hegseth, who pledged continued U.S. support amid "communist China's aggression," announced the Navy/Marine Expeditionary Ship Interdiction Systems [NMESIS] would be deployed as part of the annual U.S.-Philippine Balikatan drills, dubbed the "Super Bowl" of military exercises for its scale. What To Know The NMESIS will feature in simulated rather than live-fire drills, local media cited the U.S. Marines as saying. Still, it will increase interoperability between the allies' forces. Missile launchers are being airlifted to "multiple" of the Philippines' Taiwan-facing Batanes islands, according, the U.S. 3rd Marine Littoral Regiment, which began operating the systems late last year, said in a statement. "At present, the international community is facing the impact of unilateralism, protectionism, bullying and hegemony," Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Guo Jiakun said Monday, in a reference to U.S. President Donald Trump's effort to secure better trade terms through a broad offensive against China and scores of other partners. The 3rd Marine Littoral Regiment receives the Navy/Marine Expeditionary Ship Interdiction System from Marine Corps Systems (NMESIS) on November 26, 2024. The 3rd Marine Littoral Regiment receives the Navy/Marine Expeditionary Ship Interdiction System from Marine Corps Systems (NMESIS) on November 26, 2024. Jacqueline C. Parsons/U.S. Marine Corps The large-scale exercises and "deployed strategic and tactical weapons" have further "undermined regional strategic stability" and the "prospects for economic growth in the region," Guo said. The official also reiterated Beijing's claim over Taiwan and warned: "those who play with fire will set themselves on fire." China has pledged to eventually unify with Taiwan, through force if necessary, and continues to ramp up military drills around the island, including simulated beach landings. The U.S., Taiwan's main arms supplier, maintains a decades-old policy of "strategic ambiguity" designed to keep Beijing uncertain about whether Washington would intervene in a conflict. China has already repeatedly protested the U.S. Mid-Range Capability, or Typhon missile system, which was deployed to the Philippines in the days leading up to the 2024 Balikatan exercise. The Typhon can be armed with Standard Missile-6s and Tomahawk cruise missiles, whose 1,000-mile range puts much of China's eastern seaboard within reach. What People Are Saying Zhang Junshe, a Chinese military affairs analyst, told state media outlet Global Times: "By deploying two types of missile systems, the U.S. has established a comprehensive long-, medium-, and short-range strike China's southeastern coastal areas, the Taiwan Straits, the Bashi Channel, and the northern South China Sea... "In the event of a conflict, these locations where missiles are deployed will inevitably become targets for counterstrikes. The Philippines' approach essentially amounts to opening the door to a predator and will only backfire." What Happens Next The Balikatan exercise will run until May 10.
