Protest Follows Japan-Philippines Summit Amidst Maritime Tensions with China
The protest followed a joint statement released on Thursday after a summit between Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi and Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jnr in Tokyo. During the talks, the two sides agreed to elevate bilateral ties to a comprehensive strategic partnership to strengthen cooperation in areas including the economy, security and intelligence sharing. Japan and the Philippines do not share maritime borders, but their seabed claims could overlap as both look to extend their legal continental shelves beyond 200 nautical miles (370km or 230 miles). Speaking at a daily press conference on Friday, Chinese foreign ministry spokeswoman Mao Ning said the area covered by the Japan-Philippines maritime border talks sat directly east of Taiwan, where Beijing maintained its own exclusive economic zone and continental shelf rights under both domestic and international law.
