Japan, Philippines to start talks on 2 defense pacts in the face of China's growing aggression

Ishiba and Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jr also discussed in Manila the impact of the barrage of tariffs imposed by U.S. President Donald Trump and China's countermeasures on the global economy and free trade system, the Japanese premier said in a news conference with Marcos after their talks. The defense pact that Japan and the Philippines would start to negotiate is called the Acquisition and Cross-servicing Agreement, which would allow the provision of food, fuel and other necessities when Japanese forces visit the Philippines for joint training under a major defense accord that was signed last year and is expected to be ratified by the Japanese legislature. The United States and the Philippines signed such an agreement in November to secure the exchange of highly confidential military intelligence and technology in key weapons that the U.S. would provide to Manila.