Japan, Philippines to hold security talks amid concerns over China’s growing Indo-Pacific influence

Japan and the Philippines plan to hold their first ministerial security talks online later this month, apparently aimed at bolstering cooperation in countering China’s increasing maritime assertiveness in the South and East China seas, diplomatic sources said on Wednesday.

The Philippines will be the ninth country with which Japan has held the so-called two-plus-two talks, which involve the countries’ foreign and defence ministers, and only the second Southeast Asian country following Indonesia to do so.

The launch of such talks is in line with an agreement made in November last year between Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida and Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte, whose country has overlapping territorial claims with Beijing in the South China Sea.

Japan has also formed a two-plus-two framework with the United States, Australia, Britain, France, Germany, India, and Russia.

With Japan and the United States stepping up its watch over the Chinese military’s movements beyond what China views as the “first island chain”, a Japanese government source has described the Philippines as a “strategic point for security” given its geographical location.

The first island chain is a sea defence line stretching from the Japanese archipelago through Taiwan and the Philippines.