Japan has always been known to be an ally of the
Philippines.
But now, its been more vocal and public in its
intention of providing the country with its security needs.
It reasons out that it wants the South China Sea to
remain open to ensure the safe and free passage of its goods, this according to
Philippine ambassador to Japan Jose Laurel V.
 |
| Photo provided by the Philippine Navy shows the BRP Andres Bonifacio along with US, Japan and India warships heading to Singapore during a naval drill. |
Laurel adds that Tokyo depends on Manila because
it is located in an area where its shipments of goods pass through.
Japan is very much aware that the Philippines is
currently embroiled in a longstanding maritime row with another Asian giant –China
over parts of the West Philippine Sea (WPS), where about $5 trillion worth of
goods pass through every year.
Japan has also its fare share of problems with
respect to its territories and not friendly neighbors surrounding it namely
North Korea in the north, Russia in the northeast, and China in the west.
"When they go south, what is the first country
they will reach there? Philippines. So Japan is a trading...country. It
survives on selling their manufactured goods to the world. They have to keep
the shipping lanes open. So their only way out is towards the south, keep the
east Indian Ocean alive and get to Europe. If they want to get to the (US),
then they have to travel towards the west coast of the United States," – Laurel said in a briefing.
"Well you must remember that because we are
very intimate friends, Japan greatly also depends on the Philippines," he
added.
Laurel said the shift in geo-politics in the area
would prompt Japan to help the Philippines in terms of security.
"Japan will support the Philippines in its
needs, particularly in security," he said, noting that the East Asian
country has agreed to provide ten Coast Guard ships and other defense assets.
"That is why among others, Japan is very
important not only to the Philippines. But the other countries also depend on
them," he added.
What can you say about this?
Share
us your thoughts by simply leaving on the comment section below. For more news
updates, feel free to visit our site often.
Stay
updated with today's relevant news and trends by hitting the LIKE button.
Thanks
for dropping by and reading this post.
Report from PhilStar
0 Comments