strange days...
Posted on 06/27/2013 7:12:40 PM PDT by TexGrill
MANILA - Japan pledged Thursday to help the Philippines defend its "remote islands", as both governments expressed concern over China's robust moves to stake its claims to disputed Asian waters.
Japanese Defense Minister Itsunori Onodera said China's contentious claim to nearly all of the South China Sea and its territorial dispute with Japan in the East China Sea were discussed during top-level talks in Manila.
"We agreed that we will further co-operate in terms of the defense of remote islands... the defense of territorial seas as well as protection of maritime interests," Onodera told a joint news conference.
"We face a very similar situation in the East China Sea of Japan. The Japan side is very concerned that this kind of situation in the South China Sea could affect the situation in the East China Sea," he said, speaking through an interpreter.
Philippine Defense Secretary Voltaire Gazmin welcomed Japan's offer of support for its poorly resourced military.
"We have agreed to continue our exchanges of information, exchanges of technology to help each other to make our defense relations stronger," Gazmin said.
Neither side offered specifics but Philippine Foreign Affairs Secretary Albert del Rosario said in February his country was expecting to get 10 new Japanese patrol boats within 18 months.
The Japanese military brutally occupied the Philippines during World War II, but the two countries have since grown closer due to trade and investment, and more recently, through China's assertiveness.
Del Rosario told the Financial Times newspaper in December that a rearmed Japan would help the region counter-balance China.
Onodera and Gazmin also on Thursday welcomed an increased military presence in Asia by their mutual ally, the United States.
(Excerpt) Read more at abs-cbnnews.com ...
bump
Well hopefully it won't be the same "help" they gave 70 years ago.
“Their mutual ally, the USA”
Funny that somehow, now, there is this new, greater need for them to rely on each other.
GOSH I WONDER WHY.
So people are choosing sides? And because of our current chief executive’s efforts, no one gives a flying fig who the USA is backing.
1) The actual manpower of the Chinese military has been declining for many years now. They're trading worthless mobs of conscripts for higher-tech weapons.
2) I'm a professional naval analyst, and in a head to head matchup, the Japanese would defeat the Chinese Navy. WITHOUT the help of the US.
WWIII a brewing...
Obama disarming us as fast as he can...
Glad to hear it.
strange days...
If you can, what would your take on our present Navy be, size and preparedness?
Japan’s going to get its ass kicked again.
The Japanese Navy is very dedicated, professional and very very good. There technology is some of the best and so are her ships and crews.
The irony of it all! The grandsons of General Homma and General Yamashita coming to help the Philippines.
Yes, good call...
Sad thing is, China didn’t learn a thing from WWII.
We could all live in peace, and China has to dredge up the worst of the 20th Century to carry over into the 21st.
Lets just hope the Chinese people finally rise up and spare the rest of the world the need to take corrective measures.
Ironic.
Think they’ll try to resurrect the Greater East Asia Co-Prosperity Sphere? That worked so well last time.
Me , too . I live in Japan .
I have no way of knowing what’s in their hearts. I would go into any relationship with some trepidation, but there are a number of nations in the region that are becoming alarmed at China’s belligerence and in your face attitudes. I don’t see Japan as a bad player here at all.
The South China sea, the islands near Japan...
Right now you have Hong Kong, Vietnam, the Philippines, Taiwan, and Japan watching China with an evil eye. The only nation that may up and take a bite out of China is North Korea, and China seems comfortable with the kook rulers there. Go figure.
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