Japan and the Philippines on Thursday agreed to elevate ties to a level Japanese officials have characterized as “just short of a formal alliance,” during a historic visit to Tokyo by Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.
The penultimate day of the Philippine leader’s four-day state visit to Japan — which included a rare address before parliament the same day — underscored the neighbors’ steady uptick in relations, with the two framing their partnership as an increasingly central pillar of Indo-Pacific stability.
Marcos and Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi formally announced the elevation of bilateral ties to a “comprehensive strategic partnership” — the second-highest tier of relations in Japan’s diplomatic nomenclature, below a formal military alliance — during talks at the Akasaka Palace state guest house in Tokyo.
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