The Philippine Senate on Monday approved the Reciprocal Access Agreement (RAA) with Japan. The agreement will simplify the procedures for military personnel and related materials such as weapons and ammunition from the two countries to enter each other's territory and facilitate mutual visits and joint military exercises between the two armed forces. The Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs once said that the Asia-Pacific region needs neither a military bloc nor a "small circle" that provokes confrontation between camps and incites a new Cold War.
Previously, the Philippines has signed the Visiting Forces Agreements (VFAs) with the US and Australia, stipulating the conditions, scope of activities, and privileges granted to US and Australian military personnel and equipment entering the Philippines. Similarly, Japan has signed RAA with Australia and the UK.
Chinese military observer Wei Dongxu believes that the signing of the RAA between Japan and the Philippines is the result of manipulation and promotion by the US behind the scenes. The US aims to turn the Philippines into a shared military base that can be utilized by US and allied forces. Once Japan's Self-Defense Forces (SDF) establish a permanent presence in the Philippines, they could work with the US forces to conduct more joint provocations in the South China Sea, further increasing instability and risk in the region.
According to Wei's further analysis, the deployment of US and allied military forces in the Philippines undermines Philippine sovereignty. It also exerts diplomatic and military control over the Philippines and significantly weakens its ability to make independent strategic decisions. Moreover, it could become extremely challenging to request the withdrawal of foreign forces once stationed in the Philippines if there are significant changes in the domestic political landscape.
"In addition, the RAA signed by the Philippines with Japan is essentially an unequal treaty," Wei analyzed that Japan would obtain the right to use military bases from the Philippines and could use the Philippines' infrastructure to strengthen its capabilities of troop projection into surrounding sea and air areas. However, it was hardly possible for the Philippines to station troops in Japan due to its lack of capacity to support the overseas deployment of its military. While Japan may provide second-hand patrol vessels, some defense equipment, and limited military aid to the Philippines, such contributions are a drop in the bucket in terms of significantly improving the Philippines' overall military capabilities. Thus, in the context of the partnership formed under this agreement, the Philippines loses more than it gains.
Editor's note: Originally published on CCTV news app, this article is translated from Chinese into English and edited by the China Military Online. The information and opinions in this article do not necessarily reflect the views of eng.chinamil.com.cn.
