Philippines, Japan sign defense agreement

Japanese Defense Minister Minoru Kihara and Foreign Minister Yoko Kamikawa, along with Philippine counterparts Gilberto Teodoro and Enrique Manalo, were in Manila to finalize the Reciprocal Access Agreement (RAA) that has been negotiated since November.

The agreement was signed by Teodoro and Ms Kamikawa at a ceremony at the presidential palace in Manila, presidential communications secretary Cheloy Garafel told AFP. It still must be ratified by lawmakers from both countries.

Mr. Teodoro told the media that the signing was “a new step in our joint efforts to safeguard the rules-based international order and ensure peace and stability in the Indo-Pacific region, especially in our region.”

Japan has been negotiating the bilateral defense pact, which allows the deployment of troops on each other’s territory, especially for the purposes of training and military exercises, since November last year.

The Philippines and Japan are long-time US allies and have strengthened their alliance ties with Canberra.

Manila already has equivalent agreements with Canberra and Washington and is considering a new deal with France.

Last month, Chinese authorities accused Washington of seeking to establish an “Asia-Pacific version of NATO” to maintain its hegemony in the region.

– China Sea conflict –

The signing of the agreement comes amid tensions around Taiwan and in the South China Sea, raising concerns about a wider conflict that could involve the United States, an ally of the Philippines.

Incidents involving Chinese and Philippine vessels in the disputed South China Sea have increased in recent months.

The most serious incident occurred on June 17, when Chinese coast guard armed with knives, clubs and axes surrounded and boarded three Philippine Navy vessels that were on a resupply mission for Filipino soldiers stationed on a warship in Second Thomas Atoll.

A Filipino sailor lost his thumb in the incident.

Tensions are also high between Tokyo and Beijing over disputed islands in the East China Sea controlled by Japan.

Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Lin Jian said the Asia-Pacific region does not need “military groups, let alone small circles that encourage a new Cold War and provoke confrontation.”

Japan occupied the Philippines during World War II, but the two countries have since grown closer economically and, more recently, have begun to counter Chinese power.

Tokyo is one of the Philippines’ main suppliers of security equipment, particularly patrol boats for the Coast Guard and radar surveillance systems for its coasts.

In a speech on Thursday, Tokyo’s ambassador to Manila, Kazuya Endo, highlighted Japan’s “significant progress” in providing defense equipment to the Philippines.

Japan has signed similar reciprocal access agreements with the United Kingdom and Australia in recent years.

– “More important role”

The agreement between Manila and Tokyo is important because it will allow the Philippines to “improve interoperability with like-minded partners,” said Don McLain Gill, a Manila-based geopolitical analyst.

The Philippines has been central to U.S. coalition-building efforts because of its location in the South China Sea and proximity to Taiwan, which China claims as part of its territory. Beijing has stepped up diplomatic and military pressure around the island by sending frequent aircraft and ships to the region.

Manila’s support would be vital to the United States in the event of a conflict.

The leaders of Japan, the Philippines and the United States held their first trilateral summit in Washington in April to strengthen defense ties.

The summit came after Manila held joint military exercises in the South China Sea involving the Organization, the United States, Japan and Australia.

“In addition to our bilateral relations, Japan also wants to deepen trilateral and quadrilateral relations, such as Japan, the Philippines and the United States or Japan, the Philippines, the United States and Australia,” Kihara told the media.

Analysts say Japan is wary of possible changes in U.S. policy in the region and is also seeking to “play a bigger role.”