- Japan and the Philippines have signed a defense agreement allowing Japanese forces to conduct joint exercises in the Philippines.
- The Reciprocal Access Agreement allows the Philippine military to train in Japan.
- China has warned Japan that it should seriously reflect on its history of aggression in the region.
Japan and the Philippines signed an important agreement Defence Treaty On Monday, permission was given to deploy Japanese forces for joint exercises in the Southeast Asian nation, which fell under Japan’s brutal occupation during World War II but is now forging an alliance with Tokyo as both countries face growing assertiveness from China.
The reciprocal entry agreement was signed by Philippine Defense Secretary Gilberto Teodoro and Japanese Foreign Minister Yoko Kamikawa at a ceremony in Manila attended by President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. Philippine and Japanese officials said the agreement will take effect after ratification by the two countries’ legislatures. The agreement allows Philippine forces to enter Japan for joint combat training.
Kamikawa described the signing as “an unprecedented achievement” that will further boost defence cooperation between the two countries.
Japanese and Philippine officials “expressed grave concern over China’s dangerous and aggressive actions” at Second Thomas Shoal, the site of a recent clash between Chinese and Philippine forces in the South China Sea. The busy sea lane is a major global trade route that China claims almost entirely but is also partially claimed by the Philippines, Vietnam, Malaysia, Brunei and Taiwan.
From left, Japan’s Defense Minister Minoru Kihara, Japan’s Foreign Minister Yoko Kamikawa, Philippines’ Foreign Secretary Enrique Manalo and Philippines’ Defense Secretary Gilberto Teodoro Jr. shake hands after a press conference at a hotel in Taguig, the Philippines, July 8, 2024. Japan and the Philippines have signed a defense agreement allowing their troops to enter each other’s country for joint military training. (AP Photo/Aaron Favilla)
They stressed in the joint statement that the international community should “raise its voice on the importance of maintaining and strengthening a free and open international order based on the rule of law” in the disputed waters.
In Beijing, Foreign Ministry spokesman Lin Jian said that “the Asia-Pacific region does not need military blocs, let alone small groups that provoke confrontation between blocs or a new Cold War” and reminded Japan of atrocities it committed against Southeast Asian countries including the Philippines during World War II.
“Japan should seriously reflect on its history of aggression and act cautiously in the field of military security,” the spokesman said.
The defense agreement with the Philippines, which includes live-fire exercises, is the first by Japan in Asia. Japan has signed similar pacts with Australia in 2022 and Britain in 2023.
Under Prime Minister Fumio Kishida, Japan has Japan has taken steps to enhance its security and defensive firepower, including a counter-strike capability that marks a departure from the country’s post-war doctrine that focused solely on self-defense. It is doubling defense spending over a five-year period through 2027 to bolster its military power and make Japan the world’s third-largest military spender after the United States and China.
Japan’s Foreign Minister Yoko Kamikawa (second from right) and Japan’s Defense Minister Minoru Kihara wait for the arrival of their counterparts ahead of their meetings to discuss bilateral relations and defense, as well as regional security, at a hotel in Taguig, the Philippines on July 8, 2024. (AP Photo/Aaron Favilla)
Many of Japan’s Asian neighbors, including the Philippines, were subject to Japanese aggression until its defeat in World War II, and Tokyo’s efforts to increase its military role and spending can be a sensitive issue. However, Japan and the Philippines have steadily deepened defense and security ties.
Kishida’s moves coincided with Marcos’ effort to build a security coalition to bolster the Philippine military’s limited ability to defend its territorial interests in the South China Sea.
The US is also strengthening a circle of military alliances in the Indo-Pacific to better counter China and reassure its Asian allies, including in the event of any future conflict over Taiwan. Japan and the Philippines are US treaty allies and their leaders held three-way talks at the White House in April, where President Joe Biden renewed Washington’s “iron-clad” commitment to the defence of Japan and the Philippines.
China’s ambitions for US allies inspire Washington security summit with Japan, Philippines
Japan has a long-standing territorial dispute with China over islands in the East China Sea. Meanwhile, Chinese and Philippine coast guard and navy ships have been involved in several tense confrontations in the South China Sea over the past year.
In the deadliest confrontation to date, Chinese coast guard personnel armed with knives, spears and axes mounted on motorboats repeatedly rammed and destroyed two Philippine navy supply ships at the disputed Second Thomas Shoal on June 17, injuring several Filipino sailors. The Chinese coast guard personnel confiscated seven navy rifles.
Japanese Foreign Minister Yoko Kamikawa and Philippine Defense Secretary Gilberto Teodoro shake hands after signing the Reciprocal Access Agreement at Malacañang Palace on July 8, 2024 in Manila, Philippines. (Lisa Marie David/Pool Photo via AP)
Japanese and Philippine officials said China’s actions “impeded freedom of navigation and disrupted supply lines, thereby increasing tensions.”
Kihara told a news conference that Japan “firmly opposes the dangerous and forceful use of maritime security agencies and maritime militia ships.”
The Philippines strongly opposed this Chinese Coast Guard China took action and demanded $1 million in compensation for the damages and the return of the rifles. China accused the Philippines of inciting violence and said that the Filipino sailors entered Chinese waters despite warnings.
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Japan and the United States were among the first countries to express concern over China’s actions and called on Beijing to abide by international law. If Filipino troops, ships and aircraft come under armed attack anywhere, including in the South China Sea, Washington is obliged to defend the Philippines, its oldest treaty ally in Asia.
