Rody to discuss NoKor, Marawi in Japan visit

President Duterte will visit Japan for the second time next week and is expected to discuss the North Korea threat, the rebuilding of Marawi and infrastructure projects with Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe.

Duterte’s working visit to Japan on Oct. 29-31 is “evidence of the strong and deep bonds” between Manila and Tokyo, foreign affairs spokesman Robespierre Bolivar said.

“Aside from bilateral issues in the economic, industrial, social and security arena, discussions are also expected to include regional developments including peace and stability in the region, particularly in the Korean Peninsula,” Bolivar told reporters at Malacañang.

Japanese embassy minister and deputy chief of mission Takehiro Kano said Duterte’s visit is timely, as he noted that the Philippines is hosting the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) related meetings to be attended by Abe.

“The two leaders would get together in Tokyo to discuss various issues related to the peace and stability of the region and international communitym including the nuclear issues of the DPRK,” Kano said, referring to North Korea by its formal name, Democratic People’s Republic of Korea.

“Japan and the Philippines share common values such as freedom, democracy and the rule of law, so our bilateral relationship is robust across different administrations,” he said.

Kano said Japan appreciates the Philippines leading the sending of a strong message against North Korea’s nuclear tests as ASEAN chair.

“I think that the DPRK nuclear issue is a serious concern, security concern for all of us. And then I wouldn’t be surprised that the leaders will discuss all these matters,” the Japanese diplomat said.

North Korea has been conducting missile tests, even threatening to launch ballistic missiles toward Guam, where a United States military base is located.

The nuclear tests have been condemned by the international community, with US President Donald Trump vowing to meet any threat to his country with “fire and fury.”

Japan and South Korea – countries that also host American military installations – are also on alert for possible attacks.

Last April, ASEAN expressed grave concerns on the tensions in the Korean Peninsula, saying they “seriously threaten peace, security and stability in the region and the world.”

Kano said infrastructure development may also be discussed during the meeting of Duterte and Abe.

Japan has vowed to provide one trillion yen or about P430 billion in assistance for the Philippines in the next five years to boost economic growth and infrastructure development. The funding will come from official development assistance and Japanese private investments.

Japan has also promised to fund Philippine megainfrastructure projects like the Manila Subway Project and the North-South Commuter Lines.

Duterte and Abe may also talk about the rebuilding efforts in Marawi, which was ravaged by the clashes between government forces and terrorists.

“Japan is considering the way forward, how to support the rehabilitation, reconstruction of Marawi,” Kano said.

‘Not rushing to war’

Meanwhile, Washington is seeking a “peaceful resolution” with North Korea, US Secretary of Defense Jim Mattis said ahead of a visit to the divided peninsula amid heightened tensions over Pyongyang’s nuclear threats.

In recent months, North Korea has staged its sixth nuclear test and fired a flurry of missiles, sparking a fiery war of words between Trump and North Korean leader Kim Jong Un.

But Mattis, who arrived in Thailand last Thursday following a meeting with his ASEAN counterparts in the Philippines, said Washington was “not rushing to war” and looking for a diplomatic resolution.

“Do we have military options in defense if we’re attacked, our allies are attacked? Of course we do,” Mattis said. “But everyone is out for a peaceful resolution.”

Following talks with his South Korean and Japanese counterparts on the sidelines of the security forum in Manila, the ministers agreed Pyongyang’s weapons program posed an “unprecedented and grave threat” and vowed to step up diplomatic pressure against the regime.

“And that’s really what it is all about, to keep DPRK efforts firmly in the diplomatic lane for resolution,” Mattis said.

Mattis is on an Asian tour that sees him arriving in Seoul today for annual defense talks ahead of Trump’s visit to South Korea next month.