Japan and the Philippines sign the Reciprocal Access Agreement (RAA) in Manila on July 8, 2024, local time, to facilitate mutual visits and joint exercises between the two militaries.

By Xie Ruiqiang

Japan and the Philippines held the second Foreign and Defense Ministerial Meeting ("2+2") in Manila on July 8, local time. In the presence of Philippine President Ferdinand Romualdez Marcos Jr., the two countries signed the Reciprocal Access Agreement (RAA), establishing a quasi-alliance relationship. The RAA will ease restrictions on deploying Japan Self-Defense Forces (JSDF) and Philippine troops for joint exercises and mutual visits in the other country.

RAA is also known as "reciprocal troops access deal". Military and defense cooperation between sovereign states, especially the deployment of troops into each other's territory, often faces complicated procedures and other problems. Therefore, in order to streamline the process, two countries would reach relevant agreements to simplify the approval procedures for the entry of troops of the other side, so as to facilitate mutual visits and joint military activities between the two militaries.

The Philippines became the third country to sign the RAA with Japan, following Australia and the UK.

Cai Liang, a researcher at the Shanghai Institutes for International Studies (SIIS), stated that both Japan and the Philippines have their own strategic considerations for signing the RAA. For the Philippines, given its limited capacities, it doesn't hesitate to court any major power outside the region that is willing to enhance military cooperation with the Philippines and intervene in the South China Sea situation. Over the past two years, the Philippines has actively promoted the involvement of Australia, France, India and other countries in the South China Sea, and strengthened military cooperation with them in intelligence, armaments, and exercises.

"What Japan wants through strengthening military cooperation with the Philippines is simply to strategically contain China. With the US-Philippines and US-Japan alliances already in place, the upgraded Japan-Philippines quasi-alliance will elevate military cooperation among the US, Japan, and the Philippines to a new level," said Cai, adding that this critical defense pact will facilitate Japan's intervention in the South China Sea and its pursuit of joint operations in the East China Sea, the South China Sea and the Taiwan Strait, thereby responding to China's strategy more effectively and increasing its international influence.

Recently, China-Philippines relations have become tenser over the situation in the South China Sea. Japan's Kyodo News reported that the Japan and the Philippines sought to tighten their cooperation against China. According to Cai, Japan intervenes in the South China Sea mainly to alleviate its strategic pressure from the East China Sea and the southwest of Japan, but it does no good to the peace and stability in the South China Sea.

It is reported that Japan and the Philippines have been negotiating the agreement since November 2023. The signing of the RAA between the two sides lays a foundation for strengthening bilateral and even multilateral military cooperation in the future. The Japanese government intends to dispatch its JSDF to formally participate in the annual US-Philippines Balikatan (shoulder-to-shoulder) joint military exercises around the Philippines after the agreement takes effect. The JSDF, which was previously present in the Balikatan as an observer, will be allowed to formally participate after signing the agreement.

Japan and the Philippines have gradually enhanced military cooperation in terms of arms exports in recent years. The Philippines recently agreed to purchase five patrol ships for its coast guard from Japan to enhance its patrol capability in the South China Sea. It is reported that the Philippines received an early warning radar system from Japan in 2023, the first major transfer of equipment since the Japanese government lifted its ban on the export of weapons and military hardware in 2014.

Japan has relaxed restrictions on the export of defense equipment over time, repeatedly breached the constraints of the provisions of the pacifist Constitution and the exclusively defense-oriented policy, and kept playing tricks in the military security field, which has aroused high vigilance and strong concerns among the international community. The Asia-Pacific region does not need any military blocs or "small circles" that instigate confrontation between camps and provoke a new "Cold War". Japan should deeply reflect on its history of aggression, attach importance to the security concerns of its Asian neighbors, cling to the path of peaceful development, and take concrete actions to win the trust of its Asian neighbors and the international community.

Editor's note: Originally published on thepaper.cn, 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.