A United States military personnel directs an approaching Landing Craft Air Cushion (LCAC) to the beach at Subic Bay Freeport, as the Philippines and the United States kick off their largest joint military exercise on Tuesday. Jun Dumaguing, ABS-CBN News

President Ferdinand Marcos Jr said he has no objection to the inclusion of Japan in the annual Balikatan exercises military exercises, adding that it is “a good move.”

“Now, with the inclusion of Japan, and to some of these exercises that we’ve been doing, not only Balikatan, but others, I don’t see any reason why Japan should not be part of those exercises in the future… And, I think that may be something that we can study.”,” Marcos Jr said at a forum at the Foreign Correspondents Association of the Philippines in Manila Monday.

The annual Balikatan exercises is traditionally held between the Philippines and the US as part of both countries’ mutual defense treaty, but Marcos Jr says the participation of Japan could be considered a good move as it would make the militaries of the three countries to “work and coordinate together.”

The Philippine leader added that Japan’s inclusion will also help maintain the peace and stability, freedom of navigation and adhere “totally and completely, and constantly to the rule of international law” particularly the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS).

Asked whether there are already plans for Japan to participate in the 2025 Balikatan, the President said that it is something that the government can look into.

“The Balikatan exercise that we’re coming into now are the largest exercises that we have ever had. The most complex, and it touches on areas that we have never really had to deal with before, specifically cybersecurity, command and control,” Marcos Jr said.

“All of these things that we did not do before, that previously we had not included in our coordinative efforts for Balikatan. So, let’s go and then after that, we’ll look again, where, how the trilateral agreement has allowed us to more options, to include Japan, and, we’ll see and I, for one, have no objection to such idea,” he added. 

The President’s statement comes after the Philippines, Japan, and the United States concluded the landmark trilateral summit in Washington, which comes amid concerns over China’s growing aggressiveness in the South China Sea.

But the President said that the cooperation agreement forged among the three countries was not directed at any country.

"It is not directed against anyone.  It is merely a strengthening or formalization and execution of the relationship of the US, Japan and the Philippines," the President said.