ASOG holds conversation on territory, sovereignty with study mission from Japan

On 28 February 2024, the Ateneo School of Government, facilitated by the Ateneo Policy Center, convened a meeting for a Japan study mission. The gathering centered on in-depth discussions regarding international maritime security, with a primary focus on emerging issues in the West Philippine Sea.

The Japanese delegation was led by Mr. Kensuke Shimura, Chief Policy Analyst at the Mitsubishi UFJ Research & Consulting (MURC), along with Mr. Susumu Takai, President of the Security Strategy Research Institute, Mr. Kentaro Nishimoto, Professor of Tohoku University, and Ms. Keiko Tsuyama, Chief, Office of Policy Planning and Coordination on Territory and Sovereignty, Cabinet Secretariat, Government of Japan.

The delegation was welcomed by Dr. Philip Arnold P. Tuaño, Dean of the Ateneo School of Government and engaged with scholars on matters about maritime security: Dr. Ronald U. Mendoza, Senior Economist at the Ateneo Policy Center, Dr. Kenneth Y. Harington-Go, Senior Research Fellow at the Ateneo School of Government, RAdm Rommel Jude G. Ong, Senior Research Fellow and Professor of Praxis at the Ateneo School of Government, Dr. Alma Maria O. Salvador, Assistant Professor at the Department of Political Science, and Dr. Leslie A. Lopez, Director of the Development Studies Program at the Ateneo de Manila University raised important questions and issues to creatively enhance the discourse surrounding security, leadership, and international law.

RAdm Rommel Jude G. Ong took the helm as he talked about the Philippines’ perspective regarding maritime security in relation to Chinese gray-zone activities. This was followed by a series of conversations highlighting ASEAN’s strategy, regional economic implications, Philippines’ diplomatic relationship with Japan, and how Japan can strengthen its alliances in the Indo-Pacific region to mitigate the risks of conflicts and avert future wars.