Japan, Philippines Agree to Begin Talks on Weapons Transfers

The move comes after Japan ended its ban on lethal weapons exports, as part of a wider movement away from postwar pacifist policy.

Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jr., (L) greets Japan's Defense Minister Shinjiro Koizumi at the Malacanang presidential palace in Manila, Philippines, on May 5, 2026. Aaron Favila/Pool/AP Photo

Defense ministers from Japan and the Philippines have agreed to begin talks on weapons transfers that would allow Tokyo to send used destroyers and other military equipment to the Philippines’ military.

The agreement was made on May 5, during a Defense Ministers’ Meeting in Manila, the Philippines, between Japanese Minister of Defense Koizumi Shinjiro and Philippine Secretary of National Defense Gilberto C. Teodoro, Jr.