The Philippines and Japan will sign a defence agreement on July 8 that will allow their military forces to visit each other’s soil, said the Philippine President’s communications office on July 7.
President Ferdinand Marcos Jr will witness the signing of the Philippines-Japan Reciprocal Access Agreement shortly after a courtesy call by Japanese Foreign Minister Yoko Kamikawa and Defence Minister Minoru Kihara, his office said.
Ms Kamikawa and Mr Kihara are in Manila to meet their Philippine counterparts on July 8 to discuss deepening cooperation on defence between two key US allies in Asia.
The Philippines has been bolstering ties with neighbours and other countries to counter what it describes as China’s growing aggression in the South China Sea.
Japan, on the other hand, has faced off with China in the East China Sea over tiny, uninhabited islands that Beijing calls Diaoyu and Tokyo calls Senkaku.
Formal negotiations for a Reciprocal Access Agreement between the Philippines and Japan started last November.
