Metro Manila, Philippines – President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. on Tuesday congratulated Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi on her decisive election victory, calling it a strong mandate from the Japanese people and reaffirming the close partnership between the Philippines and Japan.
“A landslide victory and a powerful mandate from the Japanese people. Congratulations to Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi on this historic win 🇯🇵,” Marcos said in a message following the victory of Takaichi’s ruling Liberal Democratic Party in a snap election on Feb. 8.
Marcos said Japan remains a close friend and trusted partner of the country, adding that Tokyo’s leadership plays a vital role in regional stability and cooperation.
The president also said Manila looks forward to working closely with Japan’s new leadership to further deepen bilateral cooperation and strengthen regional partnerships.
“As ASEAN chair, we look forward to working closely with your government to strengthen our partnership and move forward together in advancing stability, cooperation, and shared growth across the Indo-Pacific,” he added.
Takaichi’s election victory has drawn international attention, with markets closely watching her economic agenda.
According to Reuters, the Japanese leader renewed a pledge to cut sales tax on food following her historic win, a policy that boosted expectations of stimulus measures and briefly rattled financial markets.
Japan is one of the country’s largest sources of official development assistance and a key security and economic partner in the Indo-Pacific, with both countries expanding cooperation in infrastructure, defense, and trade in recent years.
