Japan Policy Leader Visits Philippines to Boost Security & Economic Ties

JAPANESE lawmaker Takayuki Kobayashi, chairperson of the Policy Research Council of the Liberal Democratic Party (LDP), led a delegation to the Philippines on Jan. 6 to 7, underscoring the two countries’ commitment to closer coo­peration on regio­nal security and economic engagement. Kobayashi was joined by Kei Takagi, chairperson of the LDP Foreign Affairs Division; Taro Honda, chairperson of the LDP National Defense Division; and Eikei Suzuki, special adviser to the chairperson of the Policy Research Council. During the two-day visit, the delegation toured the Philippine Coast Guard and the Metro Manila Subway Project, one of the country’s flagship infrastructure initiatives supported by Japan. They also paid courtesy calls on Defense Secretary Gilberto Teodoro Jr. and National Security Adviser Eduardo Año. The Japanese officials held discussions with Trade and Industry Secretary Cristina Aldeguer-Roque and met with representatives of the Philippine business community, focusing on trade, investment and industrial cooperation. Through exchanges of views with their Philippine counterparts, Kobayashi and his delegation reaffirmed the importance of sustaining close Japan-Philippines collaboration amid a changing regional security environment, while also strengthening ties in economic and industrial sectors. Japan and the Philippines are longstanding partners, with cooperation spanning defense capacity-building, infrastructure development and private-sector engagement, as both countries seek to promote stability and growth in the Indo-Pacific region.