Japanese House of Representatives members visit PH, signify intent to pursue defense equipment...

Japanese House of Representatives members visit PH, signify intent to pursue defense equipment sharing arrangement between PH, Japan

Transcript

00:00The Philippine Navy, Coast Guard and AFP have time and again been dominated by China's Coast Guard,

00:06their People's Liberation Army and encounters in the country's exclusive economic zone and

00:10maritime territories. From ramming, water cannon blast, the confiscation and or seizure of firearms

00:17and other objects, the Philippines has endured and earned international respect and admiration.

00:23Among them, Japan, which seeks to partner with the Philippines for a defense cooperation deal

00:28as our Soojin Kim reports. Members of the Japanese House of Representatives visited

00:35the Philippines and signified their intent to pursue defense cooperation thrusts, particularly

00:40in defense equipment sharing. This following the recent incidents involving China's acts

00:45of harassment within the country's maritime territories. Japan is committed, ready to

00:51provide necessary assets to the Philippines to protect Philippine security. The Japanese

00:57officials explained that while they're concerned about China's aggressive actions, they also

01:02commend the Philippine Navy for having handled the incident peacefully, orderly and with a lot

01:06of self-restraint. What impressed me is the response by the Philippines. They handled it

01:15very calmly. The official shares Japan had a similar experience with China some 10 years ago.

01:22Philippines and Japan have something in common and we are also being harassed by China.

01:27The officials also confirmed the 2 plus 2 meeting with the Philippines scheduled for July 8.

01:32This morning, the Japanese delegation paid a courtesy call to National Defense Secretary

01:37Gilbert Teodoro. They also met with National Security Advisor Eduardo Año and Foreign

01:42Affairs Secretary Enrique Manalo. With this visit, the Japanese delegation reaffirmed how

01:47urgent and necessary it is to pursue defense cooperation between the two countries,

01:51saying it is a legitimate concern among the international community to de-escalate

01:56tensions in the region. Sujin Kim from the National TV Network for the New and Better Philippines.