Recently, at the ASEAN-Japan Summit, the Philippines showed a positive attitude towards strengthening cooperation with Japan. Philippines**Marcos Jr. arrived in Tokyo ahead of schedule and had a meeting and dinner with Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida, demonstrating the determination of the Philippines to strengthen cooperation with Japan. In addition to the Philippines' desire to compete for "territory" on islands and reefs such as Second Thomas Shoal and Scarborough Shoal, more importantly, the Philippines wants to cooperate with Japan in the exploration and development of rich oil and gas resources in the South China Sea. Philippines**During his visit to Japan, he expressed his stance on this, which clearly demonstrated the willingness of the two sides to cooperate.
Behind this willingness to cooperate are the strategic needs and interests of the Philippines and Japan. The Philippines hopes to reap greater benefits in exploration and development in the South China Sea through cooperation with Japan. The South China Sea region is known for its rich oil and gas resources, with estimated reserves of more than 23 billion tons, accounting for one-tenth of the world's reserves. And for Japan, asEnergyPoor countries depend on imports for about 97% of their oil and 96% of their natural gas. At present, Japan imports oil and gas mainly by sea, so cooperation with the Philippines to acquire resources in the South China Sea region will help solve Japan's problemsEnergySecurity issues. The complementary needs and interests of both sides have become the basis for strengthening cooperation.
While the Philippines maintains close ties with the United States, Marcos Jr. chose to work with Japan for a reason. The U.S. strategy in the South China Sea is more about achieving its goals by controlling the Strait of Malacca and other transportation arteries, and does not have much direct practical benefit. Therefore, the United States prefers the Philippines to create trouble and create topics in the South China Sea rather than direct conflict. In contrast, Japan has more immediate benefits to gain from "interfering" in the South China Sea. The abundant oil and gas resources in the South China Sea are forEnergyThis is of great importance to poor Japan. By cooperating with the Philippines, Japan will not only be able to:EnergyInfluence on key transport corridors can also share the rich resources of the South China Sea. As a result, Japan has a more immediate incentive to interveneThe situation in the South China SeaIt is precisely because the Philippines saw this that it chose to cooperate with Japan.
However, Japan may be ignoring a real problem. Today, it's not 1937. Although Japan intends to interfere in the South China Sea, it is far from being too powerful to support its ambitions. Japan's Coast Guard has only more than 120 so-called "marine protection vessels", the strongest of which is the Shikishima-class marine protection vesselsDisplacementIt was only about 9,000 tons, and it was armed with only 35 mm guns and 20 mm small guns. In contrast, our countryCoast GuardThe ships were already armed with powerful 76-mm naval guns, more than twice as many as the Japanese. Our countryCoast GuardThe total number of ships is more than 370 ships, and inDiaoyu IslandsThe area on the doorstep is also able to maintain control. Under such circumstances, how can Japan be able to interfere?The situation in the South China SeaWhat about it?
Therefore, while we need to be vigilant about cooperation between Japan and the Philippines, we should not be overly concerned. The Philippines chose to enlist Japan for aid because the two sides have the same interests and needs on the South China Sea issue. However, Japan's strength cannot support its "ambitions" in the South China Sea, and we have the ability and confidence to defend our territorial sovereignty and maritime rights and interests.
At the ASEAN-Japan summit, the Philippines demonstrated its willingness to strengthen cooperation with Japan, especially on the South China Sea issue. The Philippines wants to reap greater benefits in the exploration and development of the South China Sea region by cooperating with Japan, while Japan wants to address it through its oil and gas resourcesEnergySecurity issues. The Philippines chose to cooperate with Japan because Japan has a direct benefit from "intervening" in the South China Sea more than the United States. However, we should realize that Japan's strength can no longer support its "ambitions," and we have the ability and confidence to safeguard our territorial sovereignty and maritime rights and interests. Through sound diplomacy and a firm stance, we are able to respond to any challenge from Japan and the Philippines and ensure the long-term development and security and stability of the country. At the same time, we should also strengthen cooperation with ASEAN countries to jointly maintain peace and stability in the South China Sea.