Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. travelled to Japan on Tuesday for a four-day state visit that coincides with the 70th anniversary of diplomatic ‘normalization’ between Manila and Tokyo.
In a speech, Marcos Jr. called Japan the Philippines’ “first and strongest” Strategic Partner. He rhymed off a dozen “priority” areas of collaboration, including agriculture, energy, maritime co-operation, trade, investment, defence, and security. This state visit follows working visits in 2023 and 2025.
Talks this week are expected to produce new “bilateral security and maritime initiatives,” building on a Reciprocal Access Agreement that entered into force in 2025.
Ottawa is deepening maritime security co-operation with both Japan and the Philippines. Canada and Japan recently finalized a Security of Information Agreement (making it easier to share classified information) and an Equipment and Technology Transfer Agreement, which will help Canadian and Japanese companies co-develop projects.
Canada and the Philippines, meanwhile, signed a Status of Visiting Forces Agreement (SOVFA) in 2025, Canada’s first SOVFA in the Indo-Pacific.
These agreements mark a broader shift in Canada’s regional engagement, from presence and diplomacy toward operational partnerships and defence-industrial co-operation.
