Japan, Philippines huddle amid increasing China concerns
Philippine president visits Japan amid growing concerns over China's maritime activity
Associated Press
By Mari Yamaguchi, Associated Press | Associated Press – 22 hours ago
Philippine President Benigno Aquino III delivers a keynote speech at the special session of the International Conference on "The Future of Asia" in Tokyo, Wednesday, June 3, 2015. Aquino is in Japan for a four-day state visit. (AP Photo/Eugene Hoshiko)
TOKYO (AP) -- The Philippine president is on his sixth visit to Japan in less than five years, signaling his country's deepening ties with Tokyo amid increasing concerns by both sides about China's assertiveness in regional seas.
In a speech in Tokyo on Wednesday, President Benigno Aquino III criticized what he called China's "unlawful territorial claim," and hinted at similarities between Beijing's ongoing South China Sea development and Nazi Germany's expansionist move before World War II.
During his four-day visit, Aquino will hold talks with Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe focusing on defense and security ties. The two leaders are expected to sign a deal confirming Japan's provision of 10 patrol vessels to the Philippine coast guard to bolster its patrolling capability around Manila-claimed South China Sea islands.
Since both countries are U.S. allies and share concerns over China's maritime activity, the Philippines is extremely important to Japan, said Kenko Sone, spokesman at Japan's Prime Minister's Office.
Asked about a U.S. role, Aquino said America's presence is crucial to the region's stability and that the international community should act proactively before the problem escalates.
He then noted the failure to check Germany's advances into Austria and Czechoslovakia, citing documentaries as saying the war might have been stopped if someone had protested.
"What if somebody said stop to Hitler at that point in time, or to Germany at that time?" Aquino said at a conference organized by the Nikkei business newspaper, referring to the documentaries. He has made similar remarks in the past.
Foreign Ministry officials said Monday that Abe and Aquino were also expected to expand their defense cooperation in other areas, including the transfer of Japanese military equipment and technology to the Philippines, possibly related to maritime reconnaissance. Tokyo eased its self-imposed ban on military exports last year.
In a speech to the upper house of Japan's parliament, Aquino said that the maritime and coastal stability in the region is "at risk of being disrupted by attempts to redraw the geographic limits and entitlements outside those clearly bestowed by the law of nations."
He also praised Tokyo's solidarity with the Philippines in advocating the problem and said "a country that we both have had difficulties with" was responsible for the problem, without mentioning China.
Under Abe's push to expand Japan's international defense role, Japan has been expanding its defense cooperation with a number of countries to complement its cornerstone alliance with the U.S.
Manila has protested over China's stepped-up reclamation work on Philippine-claimed islands and maneuvers against Filipino air patrols and fishermen. During an international defense conference last week in Singapore, U.S. officials said China's expanding reclamation work could be for a military use.
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