Japan Self Defense Forces chief visits Camp Aguinaldo

MANILA, Philippines - The chief of Japan’s Self-Defense Forces on Wednesday visited the military’s main headquarters in Camp Aguinaldo amid tensions caused by China’s aggressive expansion in the region.

Adm. Katsutoshi Kawano, Chief of Staff of the Joint Staff, Japan Self-Defense Forces is in the country until Friday to observe the activities under the Pacific Partnership 2015.

Under the Pacific Partnership, the Philippines, the United States and their allies will conduct trainings to ensure effective conduct of humanitarian assistance and disaster relief missions.

The exercise seeks to strengthen international relationships with partner and host nations in the Asia-Pacific.

Kawano and his party arrived in Camp Aguinaldo at around 3:30 p.m. and were given military honors.

He met with Armed Forces chief Gen. Hernando Iriberri for about an hour but details of their discussions were not immediately available.

It remains unclear if the two military officials talked about the West Philippine Sea (South China Sea) dispute or the plan to transfer Japanese military equipment to the Philippines.

“We discussed matters on how to further strengthen our military-to-military relationsghip based on the MOU (memorandum of agreement) on defense cooperation and exchanges signed by our country’s defense establishment,” Iriberri said in a text message.

China is claiming almost the entire South China Sea while the Philippines, Vietnam, Malaysia, Brunei and Taiwan have overlapping claims.

To assert its claim, China embarked on an ambitious land reclamation in seven reefs that are also being claimed by the Philippines

The contruction projects are located in Panganiban (Mischief), Zamora (Subi), Kagitingan (Fiery Cross), Kennan (Chigua), Mabini (Johnson South), Burgos (Gaven) and Calderon (Cuarteron) Reefs.

Japan and China are also fighting over the Senkaku Islands, an uninhabited area in the East China Sea that Beijing calls Diaoyu Island.

Last June, President Aquino and Japan Prime Minister Shinzo Abe agreed to begin discussions on a visiting forces deal, a move seen as a response to China’s expansion and military build-up.

Defense officials, however, have admitted that a visiting forces agreement may not be reached within President Aquino’s term because of the long legal process it has to undergo.

The two countries have also agreed to explore the transfer of Japanese military hardware and technology to the Philippines, one of the weakest in the region in terms of defense capability.