Latest news with #Nakatani
Japan Today
8 hours ago
- Business
- Japan Today
Japan, Philippines agree to reinforce ties between defense forces
The Japanese and Philippine defense ministers agreed in Singapore on Sunday to step up collaboration between their forces in the face of China's maritime assertiveness in the East and South China seas. Japanese Defense Minister Gen Nakatani and his Philippine counterpart Gilberto Teodoro, meeting on the sidelines of an annual Asia security forum, also agreed to promote cooperation on arms exports and maintain close communication between the countries' defense authorities. Hailing progress in bilateral cooperation, Teodoro said at the outset of the talks that Japan is a cornerstone for maintaining order in the region. The talks took place after the two agreed in Manila in February to launch a strategic dialogue to intensify unit-to-unit cooperation and set up a high-level framework to promote further defense equipment and technology cooperation. Security ties between Japan and the Philippines, both key U.S. allies, have deepened in recent years, with tensions high in the South China Sea, where Manila and Beijing are locked in territorial disputes. Chinese vessels have clashed with Philippine ships near disputed shoals in the South China Sea and repeatedly entered waters around the uninhabited Senkaku Islands controlled by Japan in the East China Sea. Tokyo supplied the Philippines with an air surveillance radar system in 2023, the first finished defense product exported by Japan since the easing of its long-held arms trade ban in 2014. Japan has also decided to provide coastal radar systems to the Southeast Asian nation under a new security assistance program launched in 2023 to support the militaries of like-minded countries. Later in the day, Nakatani held separate talks with Australian Defense Minister Richard Marles, during which they agreed to bolster security cooperation with the United States and other like-minded nations to ensure stability in the Indo-Pacific region. Australia has shortlisted Japan's Mogami-class frigate and Germany's MEKO A200 as candidates to replace its navy's Anzac-class frigates over the next decade. Canberra is set to make the final decision by the end of this year. Nakatani said that he told Marles that if Japan is selected, interoperability between the Self-Defense Forces and the Australian military would be further enhanced, generating significant strategic value for both countries. © KYODO
Nikkei Asia
13 hours ago
- Business
- Nikkei Asia
Japan defense minister wants cabinet to drum up defense exports
SINGAPORE -- Japanese Defense Minister Gen Nakatani on Sunday expressed eagerness to take the lead in promoting exports of his country's defense equipment along with Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba. Until now, most of Japan's outreach in this area has been done by defense ministry officials and defense contractors themselves. Japan has won only one major international defense contract -- the supply of radar systems to the Philippines.
17 hours ago
- Politics
Japan, Philippines Agree to Strengthen Defense Cooperation
News from Japan Politics Jun 1, 2025 20:50 (JST) Singapore, June 1 (Jiji Press)--Japanese Defense Minister Gen Nakatani and Philippine Secretary of National Defense Gilberto Teodoro on Sunday agreed to further strengthen cooperation between Japan's Self-Defense Forces and the Philippine military amid China's intensified military activities in the East and South China seas. Japan and the Philippines will use the bilateral framework of strategic dialogue between unit operation officers, which the two defense ministers agreed to establish at their meeting in February. At the beginning of Sunday's meeting with Nakatani in Singapore, Teodoro said Japan and the Philippines must enhance deterrence and oppose actions they do not want, with China in mind. The two ministers confirmed the expansion of joint exercises following the signing of a reciprocal access agreement to facilitate visits to each other's country by the Japanese SDF and the Philippine military. END [Copyright The Jiji Press, Ltd.] Jiji Press
Yomiuri Shimbun
21 hours ago
- Politics
- Yomiuri Shimbun
Defense Chiefs of Japan, U.S., Australia, Philippines Express ‘Serious Concern' about China's Destabilizing Actions
Hirotaka Kuriyama / The Yomiuri Shimbun The defense chiefs of Japan, the United States, Australia and the Philippines hold a meeting in Singapore on Saturday. SINGAPORE — The defense chiefs of Japan, the United States, Australia and the Philippines expressed 'serious concern' about China's continued unilateral attempts to change the status quo by force in the East and South China Seas, during their meeting in Singapore on Saturday. The meeting, which lasted for about 50 minutes, was attended by Defense Minister Gen Nakatani, U.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, Australian Defense Minister Richard Marles and Philippine Defense Secretary Gilberto Teodoro. The four chiefs agreed to hold ministerial-level defense talks on a regular basis to strengthen cooperation between their countries. It was the third ministerial-level defense meeting between the four countries, with the previous one taking place in Hawaii in May last year, and the first under the second administration of U.S. President Donald Trump. At the beginning of the talks, Nakatani called for stronger four-way cooperation between the countries, citing China's intensification of its activities in the East and South China Seas. Hegseth said the four countries need to stand together to seek peace amid China's unprecedented military buildup. After the meeting, the chiefs issued a joint statement that underscored the four countries' 'sustained and significant collaboration to advance a shared vision for a free and open Indo-Pacific.' The statement specified four areas for future collaboration: synchronizing priority defense investments, enhancing information-sharing, strengthening cybersecurity and increasing operational coordination and interoperability. The defense chiefs affirmed in the statement that their countries would work together to improve their maritime and air domain awareness while also exploring the planning of joint intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance activities in the East and South China Seas. Japan, the United States and Australia also held a trilateral defense chief meeting on the day and agreed to strengthen operational coordination between their command centers.
The Mainichi
a day ago
- Business
- The Mainichi
Japan, Philippines agree to reinforce ties between defense forces
SINGAPORE (Kyodo) -- The Japanese and Philippine defense ministers agreed in Singapore on Sunday to step up collaboration between their forces in the face of China's maritime assertiveness in the East and South China seas. Japanese Defense Minister Gen Nakatani and his Philippine counterpart Gilberto Teodoro, meeting on the sidelines of an annual Asia security forum, also agreed to promote cooperation on arms exports and maintain close communication between the countries' defense authorities. Hailing progress in bilateral cooperation, Teodoro said at the outset of the talks that Japan is a cornerstone for maintaining order in the region. The talks took place after the two agreed in Manila in February to launch a strategic dialogue to intensify unit-to-unit cooperation and set up a high-level framework to promote further defense equipment and technology cooperation. Security ties between Japan and the Philippines, both key U.S. allies, have deepened in recent years, with tensions high in the South China Sea, where Manila and Beijing are locked in territorial disputes. Chinese vessels have clashed with Philippine ships near disputed shoals in the South China Sea and repeatedly entered waters around the uninhabited Senkaku Islands controlled by Japan in the East China Sea. Tokyo supplied the Philippines with an air surveillance radar system in 2023, the first finished defense product exported by Japan since the easing of its long-held arms trade ban in 2014. Japan has also decided to provide coastal radar systems to the Southeast Asian nation under a new security assistance program launched in 2023 to support the militaries of like-minded countries. Nakatani also met with Australia Defense Minister Richard Marles on Sunday, with the two affirming the importance of their bilateral cooperation.
