Hallmarks of a genuine strategic partnership

In recent weeks, China has threatened to take over the Scarborough Shoal, clearly part of our exclusive economic zone. Another development that underscores the need for strengthened alliances with like-minded partners which Manila continues to strengthen.

One such partner is Japan.

Seventy years from the establishment of diplomatic ties, these two countries have entered a “platinum era” of relations underpinned by a new Comprehensive Strategic Partnership announced during President Marcos’ visit to Japan in late May.

Manila and Tokyo have agreed to launch negotiations on a General Security of Military Information Agreement, which would enable the exchange of sensitive information tied to military operations, defense equipment transfers, and defense cooperation.

Such developments indicate yet another positive step in the rapidly expanding Philippines-Japan security partnership. These interests were also expressed at this year’s Shangri-La Dialogue in Singapore. Senior leaders from China were absent from this event.

During the dialogue, Defense Secretary Gilberto Teodoro Jr. called out Beijing’s ongoing attempts to hide its true objectives while claiming to seek diplomatic solutions. Japanese Defense Minister Shinjirō Koizumi echoed this, criticizing China’s military expansionism while labeling its approach as something “of serious concern for Japan and the international community.”

He emphasized the importance of preserving three pillars—transparency, trust, and cooperation—in keeping the region free and secure, adding that securing the “freedom to choose one’s own path” is only made possible by bolstering deterrence in response to growing external pressure.

The Philippines and Japan have steadily elevated their diplomatic relations. A 2025 Reciprocal Access Agreement has led to joint military exercises like the Philippine-hosted Balikatan 2026 and the potential transfer of military equipment including advanced Japanese surface-to-air missiles and an Abukuma-class destroyer escort as discussed in a joint defense minister meeting.

Japan’s participation in Balikatan 2026 sends a clear message on a mounting threat. Japan fired its first missile since World War II, a Type 88 surface-to-ship projectile, from Philippine soil during the exercise, a move made possible by the implementation of the Japan-Philippine Reciprocal Access Agreement.

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Responding to these actions, China is deploying both weaponized narratives and its own military equipment.

It has labelled Japan’s updated defense drive as a “grey rhino … gathering speed” when in fact Tokyo is responding naturally to a changing operational landscape shaped in large part by growing Chinese provocation.

China has been testing the region’s partners to the extreme. Periodic examinations of operational readiness have now been replaced by routine incursions and unprecedented offensive actions including locking fire‑control radar onto Japanese aircraft late last year, moves which grabbed global headlines. When news broke of Philippines-Japan maritime border talks in recent months, China’s reaction was to conduct military patrols east of Taiwan.

China continues to undermine the importance of growing military readiness and interoperability between regional allies with continued military buildup across the so-called First Island Chain encompassing the Philippines, Japan, Taiwan, and Indonesia. Geopolitical observers interpret China’s long-term objective as establishing a sphere of dominance spanning this chain and the Indo-Pacific’s southern flank.

In Singapore, United States Secretary of War Pete Hegseth once more called on regional allies to spend more on their defense and to boost collective capability given the shifting environment. “The future of this vital Pacific region,” Hegseth remarked, is one to be “defined by our collective efforts to safeguard and secure our most vital national interests.”

Tokyo has been insisting that no unilateral attempts to change the status quo by force will be tolerated. This is the basis of its Free and Open Indo-Pacific (FOIP) vision, a concept which has been given additional momentum by Chinese provocation. FOIP is now being strengthened following a dramatic shift in Japanese policy under the Takaichi administration.

In April, Japan’s parliament approved the export of advanced military equipment. This can bolster existing surveillance equipment, enhance operational capability, and boost deterrence for nations on the front line like the Philippines.

True partnership is one forged through trust, transparency, and results. For the Indo-Pacific to remain free, open, and secure, regional partners like the Philippines and Japan must lead from the front, securing their own shores while bolstering the capabilities of other partners to do the same.

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Dindo Manhit is the founder and CEO of Stratbase Group.