Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. will discuss Japan¡¯s evolving defense and security posture at a meeting next week with Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi in talks that are also likely to involve another subject that has garnered headlines in recent days: Taiwan.

Marcos, who is due to travel to Japan for a four-day state visit from May 26, said during an interview with Japanese media on Monday that while the Philippines doesn¡¯t want to be involved in any war over Taiwan, his country would likely be forced to join given its proximity to the democratic island.

¡°I think in Japan¡¯s case, it is more a matter of choice to be involved (in any potential conflict over Taiwan). In the Philippines, we do not have a choice because Taiwan is so close to the Philippines, and we have almost 200,000 Filipino nationals living and working in Taiwan,¡± Marcos said.

¡°Just looking at the map, you can tell that the northern Philippines at the very least is going to be part of that or will feel the effects,¡± he added.

The island of Itbayat, the northernmost point in the Philippines, sits about 160 kilometers from Taiwan.

China claims Taiwan as a renegade province and has vowed to bring it under the mainland¡¯s control, by force if necessary. The Philippine leader¡¯s remarks echoed concerns in Japan that any invasion of Taiwan would represent a dire security threat.

Takaichi stoked Beijing¡¯s ire last November when she said in parliament that the Self-Defense Forces could be deployed under the right to collective self-defense in ¡°worst-case¡± scenarios, such as a Chinese naval blockade of Taiwan, which the prime minister said would constitute a ¡°survival-threatening situation¡± for her country.

Taiwan was a major subject of U.S. President Donald Trump¡¯s summit with Chinese leader Xi Jinping in Beijing last week, with Xi warning the U.S. side that missteps on the issue could lead to conflict.

Marcos also said he would seek a clearer understanding of Tokyo¡¯s shifting security posture after Japan broke with decades of precedent to send combat-capable troops to the Philippines for joint military exercises and as Tokyo eased rules on defense exports the same month.

Calling the shift in posture a ¡°significant development¡± for the region, the Philippine leader said Manila ¡°would like to hear more about ¡­ what exactly does Japan intend to do and what they are willing to do.¡±

Takaichi and Marcos could also broach progress on what defense officials have said could be an ¡°early transfer¡± of used Maritime Self-Defense Force warships to Manila.