艾奎諾訪日，海自贈裝備

【Comment】

While the candidate of Taiwan 2016 Presidential Campaign is visiting the US, the President of the Philippines visits Japan.

It is rare that the President of the Philippines visits Japan less than a month after historical Japan-Philippines combined military maneuver was held.

President Aquino will talk with Japan of the details of transferring the Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force equipment, mainly P-3Cs.

If the Philippines has P-3Cs in the near future, it will solve the long distance problem for JMSDF to patrol South China Sea from Okinawa.        Revised at 1220

台灣總統候選人到美國，菲律賓總統到日本！很有趣！

日菲舉行一次軍事演習，不到一個月菲律賓高層即造訪日本。罕見。

「防衛裝備」指的是海上自衛隊的，還是海上保安廳的？這次裝備是軍事的，前次是民事的。

日本海上自衛隊的P-3C巡邏南中國海的滯空難題，或迎刃而解。

日退役機艦 擬贈菲國巡南海○自由 (2015.06.03)

日菲將啟動防衛裝備移轉談判

〔編譯林翠儀／綜合報導〕菲律賓總統艾奎諾三世二日抵達日本，預定進行四天的國是訪問。在南海情勢升溫之際，艾奎諾此行預料將和日本討論聯手牽制中國事宜，日本除提供菲律賓巡邏艇之外，外傳有意移轉除役的P3C反潛巡邏機給菲國，雙方領袖會談將啟動防衛裝備移轉協定的談判。

這是艾奎諾三世從二○一○年就任總統後，第六次訪問日本，而且也是第一次的國是訪問，三日預定前往日本國會發表演說、會見明仁天皇夫婦，四日將和首相安倍晉三舉行會談。

日本共同社報導，菲律賓將日本視為與美國同等的「戰略夥伴」，希望從日本引進防衛裝備及技術。尤其期待因釣魚台問題和中國對峙的日本，可以和菲律賓聯手牽制中國。艾奎諾三世在去年就表態支持日本解禁集體自衛權的行使。

事實上，南海問題也可能威脅日本海上運輸航線，日本正在研究如何發揮對中牽制的力量，二○一三年七月安倍政府承諾提供十艘巡邏艇給菲律賓海岸巡防隊，以提高菲國海上巡邏能力，艾奎諾三世此行將見證移交協議的簽署。

另外，雙方將啟動防衛裝備移轉協定的談判，一旦生效，日本將可把防衛裝備及技術移轉給菲國，目前傳出可能移轉的裝備，包括除役的P3C反潛巡邏機和雷達等設備。

Philippine president visits Japan amid China land claim tensions○Japan Times (2015.06.02)

Philippine President Benigno Aquino III arrived Tuesday for a four-day visit to Japan that will see him court investment and seek support for his opposition to China’s land reclamation in the South China Sea.

Aquino is to deliver a speech Wednesday in the Diet in which he is expected to focus on Beijing’s construction of runways and other infrastructure on reclaimed islands, which has aggravated regional tensions and drawn U.S. demands to stop.

The Filipino leader’s visit to Tokyo comes less than a month after the two countries held their first joint military drill in modern history — despite Japan’s role as occupier of much of Asia during World War II.

Aquino’s schedule also includes a meeting with Emperor Akihito on Wednesday and Prime Minister Shinzo Abe on Thursday, after speaking at an investment forum designed to lure potential business deals.

But politics will top the agenda.

Beijing has ramped up its land reclamation in the South China Sea at a dramatic pace in recent months, constructing man-made islands on top of reefs across a wide area to back up its territorial claims.

China insists it has a right to control nearly all of the South China Sea, including waters near the coasts of the Philippines, Vietnam and other Asian neighbors, which have competing claims to parts of the waters.

The U.S. has pressed Japan to help its efforts to send military planes and vessels to survey the sea to maintain the right to free navigation.

Last week U.S. Defense Secretary Ashton Carter met his Philippine counterpart, Voltaire Gazmin.  He reiterated that Washington’s pledge to defend the island nation remains “ironclad” and called for an end to land reclamation.

The Chinese military last month ordered a U.S. Navy P-8 Poseidon surveillance plane to leave an area above the disputed Spratly islands in the South China Sea.

The American aircraft ignored the demand and said it was flying in what U.S. officials consider international airspace.