President of the Philippines Marcos Jr. will conclude his visit to Japan today – Photo: POOL/VIA AFP-JIJI

Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. will conclude his visit to Japan today.

The trip comes a week after Marcos allowed greater US military access to Philippine military bases. Marcos met Japanese counterpart, Fumio Kishida, and witnessed the signing of seven economic and security agreements.

The security agreements allow for joint drills for humanitarian disaster relief that could provide the legal framework for the future deployment of Japanese military personnel to the Philippines. The deals indicate an ongoing realignment of Philippine foreign policy away from Marcos’ predecessor, Rodrigo Duterte’s close ties with China. Indeed, Marcos reiterated the Philippines’ independent foreign policy in his visit to Beijing as the two countries manage an ongoing territorial dispute in the South China Sea. For Japan—undergoing an unprecedented military build-up—closer security ties with the Philippines might balance against China’s military activities in the Southeast Asian sea lanes that are crucial to supplying the Japanese economy. The Philippines’ geographic location in the South China Sea is critical to that objective.

Expect further bilateral talks in the medium term with a view to deepening defense ties. Ultimately, joint Philippines-Japanese military drills and reciprocal deployment of forces in each other’s countries are much closer to becoming a reality.