INTERNATIONAL RELATIONS
Interview With Former Japanese Defense Minister Points to Increasing Relations with the Philippines
On July 11th, a reporter from Japanese broadcaster NHK interviewed former Japanese Defense Minister Onodera Itsunori about the recent base access agreement signed between the Philippines and Japan. Itsunori discussed various aspects of the expanding Japan-Philippine relationship, ranging from how Japan views the Philippines to how the country would respond if there was an incident in the South China Sea (SCS). However, the former minister mentioned that the Philippines requested additional assistance to develop an air defense system for the country.