Japan, Philippines begin talks on classified info sharing, arms transfers

Japan and the Philippines moved a step closer to a tighter military partnership on May 28, 2026, opening talks on an agreement to protect classified information that could pave the way for Tokyo to transfer warships and patrol aircraft to Manila. The talks, announced during President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.’s state visit to Japan from May 26 to 29, came alongside a formal upgrade of bilateral ties to a Comprehensive Strategic Partnership, a signal that both capitals see their relationship as part of a broader regional response to China’s assertiveness.

The upgrade gives the Philippines its first Comprehensive Strategic Partnership with Japan and lifts a security relationship first established in 2011 into a new tier. At Akasaka Palace State Guest House in Tokyo, Marcos and Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi marked the 70th anniversary of normalized diplomatic relations and issued a joint statement that framed the two countries as “like-minded maritime democracies.” They also reaffirmed support for the Free and Open Indo-Pacific and the ASEAN Outlook on the Indo-Pacific, tying the pact to a wider regional architecture rather than a narrow bilateral exchange.

On security, Japan and the Philippines agreed to begin negotiations on the classified-information pact, which Tokyo said would strengthen the foundation for further cooperation. The leaders also decided to accelerate talks on transferring defense equipment, including Abukuma-class destroyers and TC-90 aircraft, while continuing Official Security Assistance and convening the next Japan-Philippines 2+2 meeting early. Japan’s foreign ministry said Tokyo would continue capacity-building for the Philippine Coast Guard, including patrol vessels and joint training. The move followed a May 5 meeting in Manila between Japanese Defense Minister Shinjiro Koizumi and Philippine Defense Secretary Gilberto Teodoro Jr., when the two sides first opened discussions on possible destroyer and aircraft transfers.

The timing matters because the Philippines is trying to harden its position in the South China Sea while Japan is loosening long-standing limits on combat equipment exports. Reuters reported that the talks were unfolding against a backdrop of growing tension with China in the South China Sea and around Taiwan, where maritime claims, shipping lanes and military signaling now overlap more openly. For Washington, the shift matters too: a more capable Philippine military, backed by Japanese intelligence-sharing and equipment, deepens the web of U.S.-aligned security ties around China’s periphery.

The leaders also linked security cooperation to energy resilience. Marcos said on May 19 that the Philippines would seek stronger cooperation with Japan on energy security, and Philippine officials have said Tokyo offered up to US$10 billion through POWERR Asia to help with oil, minerals and supply-chain resilience. That wider agenda shows how defense, maritime security and economic security are now being handled as one strategic package, with Japan and the Philippines moving in lockstep as the regional balance hardens.