Philippines, Japan sign landmark defence deal

Pact allowing joint military drills in both countries seen as move to counter China

- Mara Cepeda

MANILA - The Philippines and Japan on July 8 signed a landmark defence deal that allows both nations to hold joint military drills in each other's territories for the first time, a move seen as boosting their cooperation to resist a more aggressive Beijing in the East and South China seas.

Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jr witnessed the signing of the reciprocal access agreement (RAA) at the presidential palace in Manila after meeting Japanese Foreign Minister Yoko Kamikawa and Defence Minister Minoru Kihara.

"Your presence here increases our confidence and the importance that the Japanese government puts on these extremely important agreements that we have. And I'm very glad that we have come to this day," Mr Marcos told the Japanese officials.

Mr Kihara said that the RAA represents the "cooperative relationship" between Japan and the Philippines, and "reinforces the effectiveness of our defence cooperation".

The two Japanese officials then met their Philippine counterparts, Foreign Secretary Enrique Manalo and Defence Secretary Gilberto Teodoro Jr, on the afternoon of July 8 to discuss their current bilateral security environment, as well as regional issues involving the East and South China seas, Taiwan and the Korean peninsula.

The RAA lays out guidelines on the deployment of soldiers and the conduct of joint military exercises in each of the two countries' territories. This is the same level of military access to the Philippines that the US currently enjoys through its own visiting forces agreement (VFA) with Manila.

This also makes the Philippines the third country to forge an RAA with Tokyo, following Australia and Britain.

Before the RAA, bilateral military engagements between Manila and Tokyo were limited to humanitarian and disaster relief operations, as well as expert exchanges.