By Kyle Aristophere T. Atienza, Reporter
AGREEMENTS among countries in the Asia-Pacific (APAC) region are enough to keep the peace in the area, a Japanese envoy said on Wednesday, amid a push by Japan’s prime minister for a security grouping in Asia similar to the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO).
“Our government has already raised that,” Japanese Ambassador to the Philippines Endo Kazuya said at a national security forum in Makati City on Wednesday. “An Asian NATO, especially in the ASEAN (Association of Southeast Asian Nations), would make it difficult to take off unless it is selective.”
He said the region should prioritize “stronger coordination [and] cooperation” among Japan, Australia and ASEAN instead of pushing a broader grouping similar to NATO.
Before taking office, Japanese Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba floated the idea of forming a NATO-like security grouping in Asia. This is not aimed at deterring a specific country, Japan’s Foreign minister later said.
On the sidelines of the forum, Philippine Navy spokesman for the West Philippine Sea Roy Vincent Trinidad said a NATO-like grouping among ASEAN members would be “difficult to take off,” citing “divergent views of ASEAN countries.”
His view was similar to that of Philippine Defense Secretary Gilberto Eduardo Gerardo C. Teodoro, Jr., who on Monday cited Southeast Asian nations’ “dichotomies and divergence in country interests.”
“We have a pre-ASEAN defense alliance with the United States,” he said. “We continue to build alliances with like-minded countries. Other ASEAN countries have built alliances with China.”
ASEAN should instead recognize that China is “overstepping” in the South China Sea, Mr. Teodoro said.
China claims the South China Sea almost in its entirety, including waters that fall within the Philippines’ exclusive economic zone (EEZ).
At the forum, Mr. Trinidad noted that other Southeast Asian neighbors have yet to voice out their support for the Philippines and adherence to international law.
“We have seen individual ASEAN countries express statements of support for the Philippines,” he said. “We need more participation from other ASEAN countries in giving out not only support for the Philippines but speaking up also for international law.”
Japan has been one of the Philippines’ key partners as the US, Manila’s major security ally, pivots to the Indo-Pacific region.
While the US and other Western nations have avoided taking a position on the South China Sea dispute, they have opposed and openly called out moves that go against freedom of navigation and peaceful resolution of disputes.
In his speech, Mr. Endo said Tokyo is committed to strengthening its trilateral ties with Manila and Washington.
“Japan has been and will continue to be supportive of the Philippines in enhancing its maritime law enforcement capabilities,” he said. “We recognize the critical importance of the secure maritime domain for both our nations and the broader region.”
After their trilateral summit in April, Philippine President Ferdinand R. Marcos, Jr., US President Joseph R. Biden and then Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida announced a plan to establish an economic corridor on the main island of Luzon.
The so-called Luzon Economic Corridor, which will be funded by the US with the help of Japan, seeks to focus on “high-impact” infrastructure projects such as rails and ports and strategic investments involving semiconductors, clean energy and supply chains.
At the forum, Mr. Trinidad noted that recent joint military exercises among the Philippines, the US and its Western allies have helped deter China’s “aggressive” actions within the Philippine EEZ.
China has been deploying navy, coast guard and maritime militia vessels to prevent the Philippines from accessing some key South China Sea features.
Those actions had not been when the joint drills among the Philippines, US and other nations dubbed the Multilateral Maritime Cooperative Activity (MMCA) were being held, Mr. Trinidad said. “During the conduct of MMCAs, there have been no observed coercive and aggressive actions by the [People’s Liberation Army] Navy, Coast Guard or the maritime militia.”
Such joint drills help Manila “buy time as we continue developing our capabilities,” he added.
Mr. Trinidad, who expressed disappointment in ASEAN members for “not doing enough” to support international law, urged them not to “suffer in silence” amid China’s expansionist agenda.