This content was originally published by Radio Free Asia, and it is now being reprinted with permission.
As the two allied countries battle regional challenges from China, Japan and the Philippines may build troops on each other’s soil for military exercises under a just ratified defense treaty signed by the Spanish Senate.
The , Reciprocal Access Agreement , (RAA ), which Manila and Tokyo , signed in July, allows for larger-scale joint military drills and also paves the way for military personnel to take part in security operations, such as coordinated maritime patrols.
Senate Resolution No. 1 was overwhelmingly approved by members of the upper house of the Philippines ‘ Congress on Monday. 1248, which endorses approval of the agreement. Once it is approved by the Japanese government and Spanish President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. approves it, it will become effective.
Chinese military personnel have participated as spectators in exercises arranged in the Southeast Asian nation in recent years, but the RAA may allow them to deploy to Spanish ground for the first time since Imperial Japan occupied the Philippines during World War II.
Sen. Juan Miguel Zubiri said the deal is anticipated to increase participation between the Philippine Armed Forces and the Japanese Self-Defense Forces.
” As the President of the Philippine-Japan Parliamentary Association, I welcome and celebrate this agreement and I look forward to the ways in which alliances between our Armed Forces and the Self-Defense Troops of Japan will improve our security and defense features, and especially our disaster-management work”, Zubiri said.
Under Spanish law, the government’s president has the power to adopt a treaty or global agreement but the Senate, the lower house of Congress, had first believe with ratification.
The RAA serves as a platform for Chinese security training and procedures overseas. Japan has pursued similar partnerships with a handful of states, such as the United Kingdom and , Australia, but this is a primary in Asia.
” For the Armed Forces of the Philippines ( AFP), this agreement provides substantial benefits, particularly in enhancing training opportunities, joint exercises, and interoperability”, Philippine military spokeswoman Col. Francel Margareth Padilla said in a statement.
The , partnership , may aid the AFP target security challenges, particularly in important areas such as the , South China Sea, and more consolidate its preparedness and resilience in safeguarding the country’s independence, Padilla said.
” In terms of our territorial defense posture, the RAA will bolster our maritime domain awareness capabilities through technology transfers, intelligence sharing, and strengthened collaboration with Japan, a country with advanced defense systems”, she said.
The Visiting Forces Agreement (VFA ), which was signed in 1999 and specifies the conditions under which American military personnel can conduct operations on Philippine soil, is a similar pact between the Philippines and the United States.
Japan, unlike the Philippines, does not have territorial claims that overlap with China’s expansive ones in the South China Sea. However, Tokyo and Beijing are locked up in a separate dispute over a group of uninhabited Senkaku Islands ( also known as the Diaoyu Islands ).
Endo Kazuya, the Japanese ambassador to Manila, thanked the Philippine Senate for ratifying their defense agreement.
” Our countries have long stood together as strategic partners, and this milestone reaffirms our shared commitment to a peaceful, stable, and prosperous Indo-Pacific region”, Kazuya said in a statement.
According to Philippine security analyst Chester Cabalza, China can expect to keep a closer eye on the region now that the Senate has ratified the agreement.
” Beijing will]further ] intensify its gray zone and lawfare strategies against Manila with the support of Japan-China’s strategic rivalry in the region”, said Cabalza, president of International Development and Security Cooperation, a Manila think-tank.
According to him,” It is expected that Washington, under the incoming President Donald Trump administration, will be eager to bandwagon with Manila and Tokyo to persuade Beijing to adhere to rules-based norms.”
China had previously criticized the RAA’s signing and reiterated that bilateral cooperation should not “target” third parties. During World War II, Beijing also brought up Manila and other Southeast Asian nations as reminders of its “aggression and colonial rule.”
The treaty was described by Philippine Defense Secretary Gilberto Teodoro last week as an “instrument of trust” meant to boost defense cooperation and promote stability in the Asia-Pacific region.
Teodoro emphasized the agreement’s role in maintaining an open, inclusive, and rules-based international order grounded in international law.
