Japan, Philippines Cement Defense and Intel Ties, Burying Brutal WWII History

The symbolism of the Japanese emperor giving his blessing to Japanese-Philippine military relations was overwhelming. It’s one thing for Japanese warships to join in operations countering Communist China’s claim to the South China Sea, which lies between the Philippines and Vietnam. But for Emperor Naruhito to hail “the enduring ties between Japan and the Philippines,” as Japan’s Kyodo news agency reported, took the latter-day bond between Japan and the country it brutally ruled during World War II to a whole new level.Granted the Japanese emperor does not “rule” Japan any more than King Charles III “rules” Britain, but the image of him hosting a banquet for the president of the Philippines, Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr., at the imperial palace in Tokyo sealed a de facto alliance between the World War II conqueror and the one-time American colony.In what might rank as the politest understatement of the visit, Emperor Naruhito — grandson of the emperor Hirohito who presided over the entire era of imperial Japan’s rise and fall — acknowledged that the “shared history in the aftermath of the War was not without its complications.”In comments marking 70 years since Japan and the Philippines restored diplomatic relations, Emperor Naruhito went on to say: “It is my heartfelt wish that our mutual relationship of trust will continue to grow ever stronger.”The emperor confirmed the significance of a deal struck by Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi and Mr. Marcos forming what Japan is calling a “comprehensive strategic partnership.” The Japanese newspaper Asahi Shimbun reported that Ms. Takaichi called the Philippines “one of the closest allied countries.” She promised to “deepen cooperation to address the increasingly challenging strategic environment in the region.”Those words anticipated what may be the most important dividend of Mr. Marcos’ four-day visit, which ends Friday — negotiations for a “Comprehensive Protection of Military Information (GSOMIA)” to facilitate the sharing of military intelligence.There was no doubt against whom such a deal is targeted. “China’s increasing maritime expansion in the South China Sea and other areas in mind, cooperation in security will be deepened,” said Asahi. “Economically, cooperation will be strengthened through financial support to boost the Philippines’ oil reserves.”The Philippine-Japanese relationship marks the latest in a series of moves by the right-leaning Ms. Takaichi to shore up Japan’s defenses against both China and North Korea. China and Japan have been engaging in increasingly vituperative rhetoric while Ms. Takaichi raises Japan’s defense budget by nearly 10 percent to $58 billion this year.Before her meeting with Mr. Marcos, China denounced the passage of a bill by the Japanese diet, or parliament, to form a “national intelligence council.”The bill “goes far beyond domestic worries over eroded privacy rights,” said China’s Global Times, published by the party newspaper, People’s Daily. “ It represents a key attempt by Japan to restore its wartime intelligence capacity and is another stride toward neo-militarism.”The paper quoted an “expert” at the Liaoning Academy of Social Sciences, Lu Chao, as saying “Japan’s current move to overhaul its intelligence system inevitably brings to mind the Tokko (Special Higher Police), the repressive militarist secret police that crushed dissent and enforced conformity during wartime aggression against China.”His remarks conjured Chinese fears of a reborn imperial Japan. Before World War II, he said, “Japan was known for its massive investment in intelligence operations and extensive intelligence resources, which played a pivotal role during wartime.”It was shortly after the bombing of Pearl Harbor in December 1941 that Japanese forces invaded the Philippines, driving out the Americans who had held the archipelago for more than 40 years. American and Philippine forces surrendered in April 1942, leading to the infamous Bataan death march in which hundreds of Americans died on their way to a prisoner of war camp where many more perished.The worst was yet to come. More than 100,000 Filipinos, 16,000 Japanese soldiers and 1,000 American soldiers died in the battle of Manila as American and Filipino forces under General Douglas MacArthur recaptured the capital in 1945.Those days have faded into history while new storm clouds hang over the region. “While the international situation is becoming increasingly severe,” Ms. Takaichi said, “the importance of Japan and the Philippines working closely together to realize an evolved Free and Open Indo-Pacific has never been greater.”Mr. Marcos carries his own historic baggage as the son of Ferdinand and Imelda Marcos, who were accused of pilfering vast sums from Philippine coffers over 20 years in power before their ouster in the People Power revolution of 1986. He said the new agreement “reflects the strength, depth and breadth of our ties as we respond to the evolving challenges and opportunities of our time.”________Correction: Between the Philippines and Vietnam is the area of the South China sea referenced in this article. The location was given incorrectly in the bulldog edition.

Japan, Philippines Cement Defense and Intel Ties, Burying Brutal WWII History

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