Cebu City:Japan has identified three key reasons for what it describes as a "rapidly deteriorating" security environment in Southeast Asia, pledging its support to the 11-member Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN).

According to Anadolu Agency – English, Japan's defense minister, Shinjiro Koizumi, highlighted the growing severity of disasters impacting communications, medical care, and transport simultaneously. He also noted the worldwide conflicts affecting supply chains and energy supplies, as well as the shifting military balance that increases the risk of collisions and dangerous miscalculations. Koizumi addressed these issues during a joint meeting with ASEAN defense chiefs in Cebu City, the Philippines, which is currently chairing the Southeast Asian bloc.

Koizumi emphasized the importance of ASEAN's "unity, centrality, and resilience," describing them as international public goods essential for safeguarding peace, prosperity, and the freedom of nations to choose. He acknowledged that ASEAN members are enhancing their ability to respond and deter threats, addressing shared challenges such as disaster response and maritime security.

Japan aims to support ASEAN by broadening the options available to the bloc and ensuring that each member can make informed decisions and take independent action. Koizumi urged for an update in areas of cooperation between ASEAN and Japan and assured that Japan would do everything possible to translate ASEAN's choices into tangible strength. The meetings in Cebu City are part of the 20th ASEAN Defense Ministers' Meeting and the 13th ASEAN Defense Ministers' Meeting Plus, which includes defense chiefs from the US, China, South Korea, Japan, Australia, and India. However, China did not send its defense minister this year.