日本與菲律賓加強海上安全合作

Recently the NHK News reported the following:
野田総理大臣は、日本を訪れているフィリピンのアキノ大統領と会談し、中国の海洋進出を念頭に、両国が連携を強化して海上防衛に当たっていくことで一致しました。
野田総理大臣とフィリピンのアキノ大統領は、２７日夜、総理大臣官邸で会談し、そのあと、そろって記者会見に臨みました。この中で、野田総理大臣は「フィリピンと日本は、基本的な価値観や戦略的利益を共有している。両国の関係を戦略的パートナーシップと位置づけられたことは、大きな成果だ」と述べました。また、アキノ大統領は「双方は、海洋国家として、海上の安全保障について協力していくことを確認した」と述べ、両国が連携を強化して海上防衛に当たっていくことで一致したことを明らかにしました。両首脳が署名した「戦略的パートナーシップ」の共同声明では、海上保安庁の巡視船をフィリピンに派遣するなど両国の海上保安機関が協力することや、海上自衛隊の幕僚長とフィリピンの海軍司令官が相互に訪問するなど防衛当局間の連携の強化が盛り込まれています。日本が海上防衛の連携強化の共同声明をまとめたのはアジア諸国の中ではフィリピンが初めてで、背景には南シナ海や東シナ海で海洋活動を活発化させている中国の動きをけん制するねらいがあるものとみられます。
(試譯文)
Prime Minister Noda conferred with President Aquino of the Philippines who was visiting Japan, bearing in mind China's sea advancement, both countries were in agreement to focus on strengthening their cooperation in marine defense.
Prime Minister Noda and President Aquino of the Philippines talked together in the Prime Minister official residence on the night of 27th, and they held the press conference together after their discussion. In this, Prime Minister Noda said that "The Philippines and Japan are sharing a fundamental sense of values and strategic interest. It is a big success to regard the relation of both countries as strategic partnership." Moreover, President Aquino said "Both sides would cooperate over marine security as both are maritime states", it was clearly shown that both countries would strengthen cooperation and were in agreement to focus on marine defense. In the "strategic partnership" join statement which both leaders had signed, reinforcement of cooperation between the defense authorities was included. It covered cooperation of the marine security organizations of both countries, such as dispatching Japan Coast Guard patrol vessel to the Philippines, and the mutual visit of chief of staff of the Maritime Self Defense Force and the naval commander of the Philippines etc.
It was the Philippines that Japan made a start to tie itself to the joint cooperation statement with Asian nations to strengthen marine defense. As for its background, it could be seen as having the aim of checking the movement of China, who had activated its sea activity in South China Sea and the East China Sea.


It seems that the Philippines is looking for military co-operation with other countries in Asia so as to withstand the pressure from China.