Japanese Defence Minister Shinjiro Koizumi arrived in the Philippines on Tuesday to witness an international combat drill and hold talks with President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. aimed at deepening security cooperation between the two nations, officials confirmed.
Koizumi's meeting in Manila with Marcos and Defence Secretary Gilberto Teodoro Jr. may include discussions on a possible transfer of used Japanese destroyers to the Philippines. The two countries, both treaty allies of the United States, signed a pact in 2024 allowing large-scale combat drills, paving the way for Japan to deploy 1,400 personnel to the Balikatan exercises.
Koizumi is expected to join representatives from 16 countries, including India and Australia, in Paoay town on Wednesday to witness a key Balikatan exercise. The drill will involve Philippine, US, Japanese and Canadian forces firing at a decommissioned Philippine navy ship about 40 kilometres off the coast. President Marcos plans to watch the live-fire manoeuvres via video link from Manila.
Before visiting the Philippines, Koizumi was in Jakarta where he signed a defence cooperation agreement with Indonesian Defence Secretary Sjafrie Sjamsoeddin. He said in a recent news conference that Japan faces its most severe security environment since World War II and needs to build a multilayered network of allies to strengthen deterrence.
Japan has recently boosted its offensive capability with long-range missiles and scrapped a ban on lethal weapons exports in April, breaking from its post-war pacifist policy amid growing Chinese assertiveness. The policy change allows potential transfer of up to six used Japanese Abukuma-class destroyers to the Philippines, though details of any deal remain undisclosed.
