Japan has agreed to provide the Philippines with a 64.3 billion yen low-interest loan for the acquisition of five additional Japanese patrol vessels, the two sides announced on Friday, in a bid to help it cope with China's aggressive activities in the South China Sea.
At a ceremony in Manila, Philippine Foreign Secretary Enrique Manalo and Japanese Ambassador Kazuya Endo signed an agreement on the loan, which was promised by Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida during his Manila visit in November last year.
The Japan has already provided 12 patrol ships, called "multi-role response vessels" to the Philippine Coast Guard since 2016, including two 97-meter units that are currently the largest in its fleet.
The delivery of the five more 97-meter vessels, which are expected from 2027 to 2028, is anticipated to bolster "the Philippine Coast Guard's maritime surveillance, response and enforcement capabilities, ensuring safer and more secure seas for our people and those who traverse our waters," according to Manalo.
Endo pledged the Japanese government will consistently support the coast guard's capacity building, saying, "As the situation surrounding the Philippines has continuously been serious, (the Philippine Coast Guard) is standing in a frontline for protecting our common interests and rules-based maritime order."
The Japanese envoy underscored the importance of safe sea lanes, including the South China Sea, saying his country "relies heavily on trade with other countries."
Since last year, Philippine Coast Guard ships and fishing boats have faced assertive behaviors from Chinese vessels, including the use of water cannon and military-grade laser, in the South China Sea more frequently than previous years, with Beijing asserting its sweeping claims in the waters.
The Permanent Court of Arbitration in The Hague ruled in 2016 that China's claim over almost the entire South China Sea have no legal basis.
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