President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. says that in a ‘time of great change’ in the world, allies and partners must cooperate more deeply.
The Philippines and Japan on Thursday, May 28, announced the elevation of bilateral relations to Full Strategic Partnership and the start of negotiations towards an intelligence sharing agreement – clear steps of the growing relationship caused by the game change in the international order, as well as those caused by their common partner, the United States.
The agreement and the start of all talks were announced in a joint press conference following a bilateral meeting between Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. and Japanese Prime Minister Takaichi Sanae at the end of Thursday. Marcos is in Japan for a four-day official visit.
Before meeting with Takaichi, Marcos addressed Japan’s National Diet with a speech that emphasized the importance of peace and adherence to a rule-based international order.
“This step shows the strength, depth, and breadth of our relationship as we face the ongoing challenges and opportunities of our time. Our discussions confirmed our commitment to advance cooperation in key areas, including economic cooperation, energy resilience, carbon removal, cooperation in defense and security, maritime issues, as well as emerging and future-oriented sectors,” Marcos said during a press conference.
“Cooperation with the Philippines, one of the closest like-minded countries to Japan, is very important in realizing the updated Free and Open Indo-Pacific FOIP or FOIP, updated,” Takaichi said.
A Comprehensive Strategic Partnership is the highest level of diplomatic relations that countries can have, outside of an alliance. Japan is the first Comprehensive Strategic Partner of the Philippines. Tokyo has a similar partnership with the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN), which will be led by the Philippines in 2026.
The General Security of Military Information Agreement or GSOMIA, meanwhile, is a framework through which two countries can share intelligence and important security and defense information. Manila has a GSOMIA with the United States, while Japan has a GSOMIA with South Korea and similar agreements with several countries, including the United States.
Marcos and Takaichi witnessed the signing of the following agreements concerning:
- avoid double taxation
- expansion of cooperation in the agriculture and fishing sector
- improvement of equal access to quality health services
- to develop long-term cooperation in the development of human resources
- space development and use
- artificial intelligence
- energy security
- supply resilience
- negotiations on the delimitation of maritime boundaries
GSOMIA and negotiations on the delimitation of maritime borders “are very important steps to further strengthen our defense cooperation and focus on a rule-based maritime order,” said Marcos. “They will increase the trust between our two countries.”
The relationship between the Philippines and Japan has been deep for a long time. From 2011 to 2015, Tokyo was Manila’s only strategic partner, followed by Vietnam later. Under Marcos, the Philippines’ list of strategic partners has grown to include Australia, South Korea and India.
Japan is the Philippines’ largest source of Official Development Assistance. Manila is also the first recipient of Tokyo’s Official Defense Assistance. Aid and assistance from Japan to the Philippines covers several different areas, from humanitarian disaster response, trade, transportation infrastructure, and peace in the Bangsamoro, to maritime territorial awareness.
In 2024, the two countries signed a Mutual Access Agreementwhich allows the deployment of military personnel from either country for training, humanitarian aid, or even defense reasons. In 2026, Tokyo sent 1,400 of its self-defense forces to participate in the Shoulder 2026annual military exercise between the Philippines and the United States.
These two countries are bound together by overlapping interests, values, and concerns. Both nations have repeatedly advocated for a “free and open” Indo-Pacific and a rule-based international order. The two are also the recipients of sea invasions by their powerful neighbors and territories, China.
Takaichi noted that the two “agreed to speed up exchanges between the security authorities towards the transfer of the Abukuma class destroyers and others.”
“To deal with the regional strategic environment, which is becoming increasingly difficult, Japan will increase cooperation with the Philippines,” he said.
The Prime Minister added that Japan wants to strengthen its economic relations with the Philippines and ASEAN.
Speaking before members of the Japan-Philippines Congressional Friendship League on May 27, Marcos noted that his activities in Japan come “at a time of great reform in the international system,” and those times call “not for retreat or hesitation, but for more engagement.”
“In such an environment, the importance of a trusted partnership that is based on shared values, mutual respect, and adherence to international law has never been more evident,” he said.
It is a message that Marcos has given in many of his speeches abroad, especially since the oil crisis caused by US-Israel war against Iran. The Deep Strategic Partnership between the Philippines and Japan, he said, shows a “unique level of trust” between the two Asian nations. – Rappler.com
