The Philippines and Japan strengthened their defense relations by signing a reciprocal access agreement (RAA), claiming to be pursuing regional stability in the face of escalating tensions with China.
Japanese Foreign Minister, Yoko Kamikawa, described the deal as a landmark achievement since it facilitates the entry of equipment and troops for battle training and disaster relief.
The agreement is the first of its kind inked by Japan in Asia, and it corresponds with an increase in assertive acts by Chinese vessels in the disputed South China Sea.
Philippine Defense Minister Gilberto Teodoro said it was another milestone in shared endeavour to ensure a rules-based international order.
According to reports, both the Philippines and Japan, two of the United States’ closest Asian allies, have taken a strong stance against what they regard as a more assertive China in the South China Sea, a region where Beijing’s sweeping claims clash with those of numerous Southeast Asian governments.
An international tribunal in 2016 said China’s claims had no legal basis, a ruling that Beijing rejects.
Japan, which last year began its largest military build-up since World War II in a departure from its postwar pacifism, has no claims to the South China Sea but does have a separate maritime dispute with China in the East China Sea, where the two countries have repeatedly clashed.
It has supported the Philippines’ position in the South China Sea and expressed alarm about China’s actions, notably recent incidents that caused damage to Philippine warships and injured a Filipino sailor.
Meanwhile, Lin Jian, a spokesperson for the Chinese foreign ministry, said the Asia-Pacific region does not need military blocs, still less does it need to provoke confrontation between different camps or small circles that encourage a new Cold War.
The Philippines has a Visiting Forces Agreement with the United States and Australia.
Tokyo, which hosts the biggest concentration of US forces abroad, has similar RAA deals with Australia and Britain and is negotiating another with France.
