[OPINION] A trilateral option for maritime security: Can the Philippines and Japan make it work?

'A triad of like-minded democracies is a step forward in blunting the efficacy of China’s geopolitical strategy in East Asia.' Opinion

The region’s geopolitical landscape is about to change, after President Marcos and Prime Minister Fumio Kishida announced the possible formation of a security triad involving the Philippines, Japan, and the United States. This development is the likely product of several cabinet-level dialogues, multilateral exercises, and military staff talks conducted among the three states over the years.

For the Philippines, the agreements reached during the inaugural 2+2 meeting at Tokyo in 2022, and the 10th Bilateral Strategic Dialogue in Manila early this year already provides a roadmap for cooperation with the US and Japan. Taking a slice among two dialogues, we consider the possibilities, in terms of military modernization, maritime cooperation, and infrastructure development:

The Navy needs to rebuild its surface fleet, after decommissioning its legacy vessels. Conceivably, some of the JPY600 billion allocated to help the country attain Upper Middle Income Country status by 2025 can be invested in Subic’s Agila Shipyard. This allows new ships to be constructed locally, and hopefully jumpstart the county’s naval shipbuilding industry.

Lastly, an infrastructure development program can also be tweaked to counter China’s attempts to exert influence over provinces, such as Cagayan, Ilocos Norte and Sur, Zambales, Palawan, etc. These are situated in areas critical to China’s maritime interests, and an infusion of Japanese capital in these provinces might possibly wean away our governors and mayors from the lure of Chinese FDIs.

In summary, a triad of like-minded democracies is a step forward in blunting the efficacy of China’s geopolitical strategy in East Asia. For the Philippines, Japan’s active posture can be a moderating influence in times of crisis and mitigate the asymmetry and shortcomings in our relations with the US. In the end, navigating the region’s security challenges requires the enlightened use of statecraft, and the capacity to work with other states.

We have summarized this news so that you can read it quickly. If you are interested in the news, you can read the full text here. Read more:

rapplerdotcom /  🏆 4. in PH

Philippines Latest News, Philippines Headlines

Similar News:You can also read news stories similar to this one that we have collected from other news sources.

Nickel Asia reports better ESG rating - BusinessWorld OnlineLISTED mining firm Nickel Asia Corp. said on Tuesday that it has scored a performance rating of 33.6 for its environmental, social, and governance (ESG) initiatives, which is an improvement over its previous 43.7 rating. In a statement, the company said the score was based on the latest assessment conducted by its external ESG rating […]
Read more »

Zelensky urges speedy help from allies as Russia pounds Ukraine’s eastUkrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky urged allies to be speedy in sending more military help as Nato defense ministers met on Wednesday and Russia bombarded the eastern front line in what appeared to be the early salvoes of a new offensive. | Reuters
Read more »

MCIA named Best Airport in Asia 2022 for ‘Under 5M Passengers’CONGRATS, MCIA ✈ Aviation networking firm Routes Online named MCIA as the Best Airport in Asia 2022 for the Under 5M Passengers category during the annual Routes’ Awards held in Chiang Mai, Thailand last Feb. 15. CDNDigital
Read more »

[OPINION] Revillame takes the hit for ALLTV in hypocrisy-laden defense'Imploring his audience to set politics aside, Revillame forgets that ALLTV parent company AMBS’ acquisition of ABS-CBN’s frequencies has been deeply political.' Opinion
Read more »

[OPINION] Love in the time of climate anxiety'Climate action is as impactful of a way as any for us to show love for the ones we care about, for our common home, and for that desired future that still awaits us'
Read more »

[OPINION] 'Ohitorisama' and me'Ohitorisama, the art of doing things alone, is a relatively new term'
Read more »