MANILA, Philippines (Eagle News) — A Japanese foreign ministry official said that japan and the Philippines have begun talks for the transfer of two large coast guard ships to Manila, to help patrol the disputed South China Sea, as part of a deal on defense equipment.
The two brand-new 90-meter multi-role response vessels will be in addition to ten 44-meter mid-sized coast guard ships, worth 8.8 billion pesos, that Japan is set to start delivering next week.
Deputy spokesman of Japan’s Foreign Ministry Masato Ohtaka said quote: “Both governments are looking into the possibility of getting two more vessels, this time the bigger ones,”
The ship delivery figured in an 80-minute meeting between Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte and Japanese Foreign Minister Fumio Kishida on Thursday in Davao City.
Japan has no claim in the South China Sea, but it is in dispute with China over small islands in the east china sea.
China says it has “indisputable sovereignty” over the area it claims and has refused to recognize the court ruling handed down last month in a case brought by the Philippines.
Japan urged china to adhere to the ruling, saying it was binding, prompting a warning from china not to interfere.