The Philippines on Saturday hailed the passage in Japan of a security bill that would allow the Japanese Armed Forces to defend allies like the Philippines when under attack.

Foreign Secretary Albert del Rosario issued a statement welcoming the passage of the bill, which has caused controversy in Japan but is seen to be beneficial to the Philippines amid growing tensions in the South China Sea.

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The Philippines, which has the weakest military in Southeast Asia, is locked in an escalating dispute with China over territory in the South China Sea.

Japan is a strategic partner of the Philippines, second to the United States, the country’s only treaty ally.

“The Philippines welcomes the passage of legislation on national security by the National Diet of Japan,” Del Rosario said.

“We look forward to efforts that strengthen our strategic partnership with Japan and those that would contribute further to shared goals of greater peace, stability and mutual prosperity in the international community,” he added.

Japan’s parliament passed into law on Saturday the security bill despite strong opposition from the public and many lawmakers.

On Thursday, a scuffle broke out in parliament when members of the opposition attempted to stop the vote on the security bill.

The vote was a step for the bill to go to the upper house of parliament for final approval.

The Philippines and Japan have strengthened their strategic alliance in the face of China’s increasing aggressiveness in asserting its claims in the South China Sea.

China island-building

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China is building artificial islands around Philippine-claimed reefs in the West Philippine Sea, part of the South China Sea within Manila’s 370-kilometer exclusive economic zone.

The Philippines has taken its territorial dispute with China to the United Nations for arbitration.

Japan is locked in a dispute with China over ownership of a group of uninhabited islands in the East China Sea that the Japanese call Senkaku and the Chinese Diaoyu.

During the state visit of President Aquino to Japan in June, he and Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe signed a joint declaration enhancing the two countries’ strategic partnership, agreeing to begin talks to exchange defense materiel, undertake more joint training exercises and ensure “maritime safety and security” in the South China Sea.

A major highlight of the pact between the Philippines and Japan is the “initiation of negotiations to conclude an agreement on the transfer of defense equipment and technology.”

Also in June, the Philippines, Japan and the United States held joint naval drills off Palawan.

Both Japan and the United States earlier expressed strong opposition to China’s massive land reclamation in the South China Sea.

Japan, in its 2015 defense white paper, said it considered China a national security threat, a tag Del Rosario also used in referring to China in his speeches. Niña P. Calleja

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