MANILA/TOKYO — Japan and the Philippines on Wednesday agreed to begin formal negotiations on an intelligence‑sharing agreement and the delimitation of their maritime boundary, officials said, deepening security ties as both countries confront growing Chinese assertiveness in surrounding seas.
The announcement came during Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jr’s four‑day state visit to Tokyo, the first by a Philippine leader in over a decade and timed with the 70th anniversary of diplomatic relations between the two nations. Speaking alongside Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi, Marcos said talks will start on a General Security of Military Information Agreement (GSOMIA) and on defining maritime limits, calling the steps “very important” to strengthen defence cooperation and uphold a rules‑based maritime order.
Takaichi said the partners also agreed to accelerate negotiations over the transfer of Abukuma‑class destroyer escort vessels and other defence equipment to Manila. If completed, the transfer would mark Tokyo’s first export of lethal military hardware under its revised defence export rules and would help narrow a capability gap between the Philippine Navy and China’s maritime forces.
The proposed GSOMIA would set protocols for sharing and protecting sensitive military intelligence. Japan already has such pacts with the United States, Australia and South Korea; the Philippines signed its own intelligence‑sharing agreement with Washington in 2024.
Delimitation talks aim to formally define maritime boundaries where Tokyo and Manila have overlapping interests and mutual concern about Beijing’s actions in the East and South China seas. The announcement builds on recent defence accords: a Reciprocal Access Agreement allowing forces to enter each other’s territory for joint drills and disaster relief took effect in September 2025, and an acquisition and cross‑servicing pact followed four months later.
Analysts said the move reflects a shared assessment of an uncertain security environment and a desire to bolster coordination, though not to supplant the U.S. presence in the region. “Given growing uncertainty over U.S. commitment to regional security in the Indo‑Pacific, Japan and the Philippines are strengthening defence cooperation to help fill potential gaps,” said Associate Professor Kei Koga of Nanyang Technological University. Yusuke Takagi of the National Graduate Institute for Policy Studies added that stronger Japan‑Philippines ties can stabilise the region by protecting sea lanes and supporting a rules‑based order.
The deepening relationship is a marked reversal from history; Japan’s WWII occupation of the Philippines once left deep scars, but Tokyo is now one of Manila’s closest security partners amid shared concerns about China. Beijing claims the Senkaku/Diaoyu islands in the East China Sea and asserts broad claims across the South China Sea, where Chinese coast guard vessels have repeatedly clashed with Philippine ships near disputed features.
Before the joint press conference, Marcos addressed Japan’s National Diet and stressed both countries’ commitment to keeping seas “open, secure and governed by rules and not by force.” Observers expect Beijing to criticise closer Tokyo‑Manila security cooperation as part of a containment strategy.
For ASEAN, which the Philippines chairs in 2026, regional reaction may hinge on how the two frame cooperation. Experts say presenting the partnership as supporting regional stability and ASEAN‑centred approaches will be more acceptable than portraying it as an anti‑China bloc.
Leaders also expanded cooperation beyond security. Tokyo and Manila signed pacts on double taxation avoidance and new collaboration in agriculture, fisheries, health, space, artificial intelligence, energy security and supply chain resilience. Japanese firms pledged about US$3.4 billion in investments in the Philippines during a high‑level business roundtable.
Japan committed support for the Philippines’ bid for a non‑permanent United Nations Security Council seat in next week’s election and indicated it will back joint steps to boost energy resilience, including stockpiling under Tokyo’s POWERR Asia initiative.
“The comprehensive strategic partnership reflects a mutual commitment to strengthening our relationship sustainably and in a multi‑layered manner,” Takaichi said. Marcos expressed hope the visit would open “new horizons” for bilateral cooperation.