Chinese aggression pushes Philippines towards greater ties with US, Japan

Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jr (left) and Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida in Tokyo, Japan, on Feb 9, 2023. - Reuters

MANILA (The Straits Times/Asia News Network): China’s military aggression is pushing the Philippines to usher in a new era of stronger defence cooperation with allies Japan and the United States, which could see the forging of a trilateral security deal designed to help counter Beijing’s rising influence in the Indo-Pacific.

During his five-day trip to Tokyo, which ended on Sunday (Feb 12), Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jr said he will assess Japan’s proposed security troika with Washington.