(29 Apr 2025)
RESTRICTION SUMMARY:
AGENCY POOL
Manila, Philippines – 29 April 2025
1. Philippines President Ferdinand Marcos Jr and Japanese Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba entering room
2. Ishiba and Marcos on podium
3. SOUNDBITE (English) Ferdinand Marcos Jr, Philippines President:
"Prime Minister Ishiba and I earlier discussed the many aspects of our diplomatic, political, security and defense cooperation. We look forward to a robust relationship as our diplomatic relations enter the 70th year of normalizations in the year 2026."
4. Audience applauding
5. SOUNDBITE (English) Ferdinand Marcos Jr, Philippines President:
"Japan has been of great assistance in helping us achieve our aspiration for peace and friendship with all nations with strength and with integrity. Further, we have agreed to start negotiations on an acquisition and cross-servicing of agreement."
6. Wide of presser
7. SOUNDBITE (English) Ferdinand Marcos Jr, Philippines President:
"I look forward to continuing our strengthened strategic partnership with Japan, a country that shares our ideas and aspirations of upholding democratic institutions and a rules- based international order."
8. Japanese Prime Minister Ishiba Shigeru shaking hands with Marcos
STORYLINE:
Japanese Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba met Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos on Tuesday to discuss the countries’ "strengthened strategic partnership".
"Japan has been of great assistance in helping us achieve our aspiration for peace and friendship with all nations with strength and with integrity," said Marcos in a press conference following their meeting.
Ishiba arrived in the Philippines on Tuesday for a two-day visit aimed at strengthening ties in the face of China’s growing assertiveness in the region.
The talks between the two leaders are expected to focus on China’s aggressive actions in the disputed South China Sea and East China Sea, a reaffirmation of their commitment to a three-way alliance with the United States, and the barrage of tariffs imposed by President Donald Trump, officials said.
"I look forward to continuing our strengthened strategic partnership with Japan, a country that shares our ideas and aspirations of upholding democratic institutions and a rules- based international order," Marcos added at the presser.
Japanese and Philippine officials are expected to start negotiations this year on two defense pacts, including a proposed defense logistical agreement that would allow the provision of food, fuel and other necessities when Japanese forces visit the Philippines for joint training under a major defense accord that was signed last year and is expected to be ratified by the Japanese legislature.
Another proposed agreement involves the security of highly confidential defense and military information the countries could share. Talks on this agreement are also expected to start this year, according to Japanese and Philippine officials.
“In the South China Sea and East China Sea, China has made unilateral attempts to change the status quo by force,” Ishiba said in a news conference in Tokyo over the weekend before embarking on a trip to Vietnam and the Philippines. “I intend to further strengthen our cooperation with regard to security.”
Chinese coast guard and navy ships, along with suspected militia vessels, have been accused of separately ramming and blocking and using powerful water cannons against Philippine and Vietnamese ships in the disputed South China Sea in recent years.
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