Japanese Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba (left) and Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos shake hands before starting their talks on April 29. (Source: AFP))

According to Kyodo news agency, in a joint press conference with Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. after the talks, the Japanese Prime Minister stated that the two sides affirmed their opposition to "attempts to change the status quo in the East China Sea and the South China Sea by force or coercion".

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"We have agreed to start negotiations on a cross-servicing and acquisition agreement," Ishiba said, adding that the two countries had signed a visiting forces agreement allowing the stationing of troops on each other's territory, which was ratified by the Philippine Senate. Cross-servicing and acquisition agreements typically involve the transfer of supplies and services between the militaries.

In addition, the Philippines and Japan also confirmed the start of negotiations between the two governments towards the signing of an information security agreement in the future," according to the Prime Minister of the Land of the Rising Sun.

For his part, praising the "golden age" in bilateral relations, the Philippine President said that Tokyo's previous security assistance had "allowed the Southeast Asian nation's security agencies, especially the Department of National Defense, to achieve meaningful upgrades."

Tokyo is a major funder of the Philippines' efforts to modernize its South China Sea patrol vessels as well as maritime surveillance systems.

In addition, the two leaders "affirmed the importance of Japan-US-Philippines cooperation" and confirmed the trilateral joint maritime exercise.

On the economic front, the Japanese Prime Minister and the Philippine President discussed the impact of US President Donald Trump's tariff threat.

According to Prime Minister Ishiba, Japan and the Philippines share fundamental values ​​such as the rule of law and face common challenges in the fields of security, economy and disaster prevention.