Maritime cooperation will always be a key feature in Philippines-Japan ties, Foreign Affairs Secretary Enrique Manalo said yesterday. “Being island states binds us in the common objective of keeping the seas of the Indo-Pacific safe, secure and peaceful,” Manalo said at a forum on Philippines-Japan Strategic Partnership organized by Japan’s National Graduate Institute for Policy Studies (GRIPS). He said the Philippines is firmly committed to maintaining peace and stability in the West Philippine Sea and in the entire South China Sea.

Lee-Brago, P. (2023, May 17). Repeated infringements require boosting of sea defenses - DFA chief. The Philippine Star, pp. 1, 5.