With the US under Obama proving to be a totally unreliable ally, the Philippines desperately needs Tokyo’s support in its ongoing dispute with China. The same holds true for Vietnam. Tokyo has a goodly supply of very potent military hardware that is either mothballed or under utilized that can be transferred to either nation and seriously shore up deficiencies. The time is right for a regional three-way alliance that does not include the US and is concerned solely with preserving the territorial integrity of the member states. This is collective self defense in the purest form.
But Abe thinks he can trust North Korea, so he is weird