China’s aggression brings Japan and the Philippines closer

Kishida fumio,BRP Japan’s prime minister, appeared to be brimming with enthusiasm on November 4th as he toured the , the largest vessel in the Philippine coastguard’s fleet. Never mind that the ship is named after a revolutionary leader known in part for resisting Japanese occupiers during the second world war. These days, Japan and the Philippines are increasingly collaborating to resist China. The vessel, which was launched last year, was built by Japanese shipbuilders with loans from Japan’s government.On his visit to Manila on November 3rd and 4th, Mr Kishida promised more such aid to boost the Philippines’ defences. He and his Philippine counterpart, Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos, also agreed to start formal talks on a new pact to improve bilateral security co-operation. During an address to the Philippine congress, the first by a Japanese leader, Mr Kishida declared that ties between the two countries had entered a “golden age”.