22nd Shangri-La Dialogue: Japan, Philippines boost defence cooperation

The relationship between Japan and the Philippines in the security field has been strengthened in recent years. In 2023, Japan provided the Philippines with an airborne surveillance radar system.

Japanese Defence Minister Gen Nakatani (left) and Philippine Secretary of National Defence Gilberto Teodoro. (Photo: EPA-EFE)
Japanese Defence Minister Gen Nakatani (left) and Philippine Secretary of National Defence Gilberto Teodoro. (Photo: EPA-EFE)

Hanoi (VNA) – Japanese Defence Minister Gen Nakatani and Philippine Secretary of National Defence Gilberto Teodoro on June 1 had a meeting on the sidelines of the 22nd Shangri-La Dialogue in Singapore.

At the meeting, Nakatani and Teodoro agreed to boost defence cooperation between the two countries. They also pledged to promote cooperation on arms exports and maintain close communication between their defence agencies.

In February, Japan and the Philippines agreed to launch a strategic dialogue to enhance unit-level cooperation and establish a high-level framework for strategic operation cooperation to further promote cooperation on defence technology and equipment.

The relationship between Japan and the Philippines in the security field has been strengthened in recent years. In 2023, Japan provided the Philippines with an airborne surveillance radar system. This is the first complete defence product exported by Japan since the easing of the arms trade ban that lasted since 2014.

Tokyo has also decided to provide coastal radar systems to the Southeast Asian country under a new security assistance programme that was launched in 2023./.

VNA

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