Senior lawmakers from Japan’s ruling Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) visited the Philippines in early January to underline Tokyo’s push for closer coordination with Manila on regional security and to deepen links in trade and industry, according to Japan’s embassy in Manila.
Takayuki Kobayashi, chairperson of the LDP’s Policy Research Council, led the delegation on Jan. 6-7, joined by Kei Takagi, chairperson of the party’s foreign affairs division, Taro Honda, chairperson of the national defence division, and Eikei Suzuki, a special adviser to the policy research council chair, the embassy said.
During the trip, the group visited the Philippine Coast Guard and inspected the Metro Manila Subway Project, a flagship infrastructure programme supported by Japan’s official development assistance, the embassy said.
The delegation also paid courtesy calls on Defence Secretary Gilberto Teodoro Jr. and National Security Adviser Eduardo Año, and held discussions with Trade and Industry Secretary Cristina Aldeguer-Roque and representatives of the Philippine business community.
In meetings with their Philippine counterparts, Kobayashi and his delegation reaffirmed the importance of maintaining close Japan-Philippines cooperation amid a complex regional security environment, while also seeking to sustain collaboration across economic and industrial sectors, the embassy said.
The visit comes as Japan and the Philippines expand security coordination and economic engagement, with Tokyo positioning infrastructure support and maritime capacity-building as key pillars of its partnership with Manila.
Business News Asia
