Japan, Philippines Agree on Logistics Pact to Boost Security Ties Amid China’s Increasing Maritime Presence

By Hirotaka Kuriyama / Yomiuri Shimbun Staff Writer

16:57 JST, January 15, 2026

MANILA — Japan and the Philippines signed a landmark logistics pact Thursday, paving the way for bolstering security and defense cooperation amid China’s increasing maritime presence.

Foreign Minister Toshimitsu Motegi and his counterpart Theresa Lazaro signed an Acquisition and Cross-Servicing Agreement (ACSA) at a foreign ministers’ meeting in Manila, marking Japan’s first such pact with a member state of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations.

The agreement enables the Self-Defense Forces and the Philippine forces to provide each other with essential supplies during joint exercises.

With this agreement, the Philippines became the 11th country to conclude an ACSA with Japan — joining nations such as the United States, Australia, the United Kingdom and Canada — as Tokyo seeks to curb China’s unilateral attempts to change the status quo in regional waters.

At the beginning of the meeting, Motegi emphasized that the Philippines was an indispensable partner in realizing a Free and Open Indo-Pacific amid an increasingly challenging regional strategic environment.

The ACSA will allow the two countries to provide each other with fuel, food, and ammunition during joint exercises, enhancing their operational flexibility.

Motegi also announced that it will provide further support, including the construction of boathouses and slipways in the Philippines for the Philippine Navy’s high-speed rigid-hulled inflatable boats (RHIBs) used for surveillance and monitoring. These facilities will be built at three sites under the Official Security Assistance program, Japan’s initiative for providing defense-related equipment at no cost.

The construction of the facilities will help ensure the boats’ longevity. This marks the first time that infrastructure development will be carried out under the OSA program. The two countries also agreed on opposing any unilateral attempts to change the status quo by force or coercion, keeping in mind China’s ongoing maritime expansion in the East and South China Seas.

The ministers highlighted the worsening security climate in East Asia and reaffirmed the importance of sustained U.S. engagement. They shared the view that trilateral ties between Japan, the Philippines and the United States are essential and pledged to strengthen their collective coordination with Washington.

Given China’s increasing economic coercion against Japan, including export bans on dual-use products, Motegi confirmed a commitment to deepen economic security cooperation with the Philippines, with actions such as focusing on building more resilient supply chains for critical minerals.