
Japan-Philippines made a defense agreement to prevent Chinese aggression
Last Updated on July 9, 2024 10:06 am
Japan and the Philippines began negotiating a defense pact last year to counter Chinese aggression. That discussion has come a long way. Al Jazeera reported in a report on Monday that the two countries have signed a defense agreement allowing the deployment of troops on each other’s territory.
Japanese Foreign Minister Yoko Kamikawa and Philippine National Defense Secretary Gilberto Teodoro signed the mutual agreement in a ceremony in Manila today.
Under the agreement, Japanese forces will be able to deploy to the Philippines for joint military exercises and Philippine security forces will be able to receive combat training in Japan. The agreement must be passed by the parliaments of both countries to be effective.
China’s disputes with Tokyo and Manila are long-standing. The defense deal move is largely due to China’s increasingly aggressive behavior in the disputed waters. Japan and the Philippines have always spoken out against China over rising tensions in the East China Sea and South China Sea.
US President Joe Biden held a tripartite meeting with Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida and Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. at the White House last April. The meeting was held to stop China’s aggressive behavior in the South China Sea. Both Japan and the Philippines are longstanding allies of the United States. Their policies on China are similar to those of the United States.
In the past few months, there have been several maritime skirmishes between Philippine and Chinese vessels in the South China Sea. Japan has condemned these incidents and said it will stand by the Philippines amid rising tensions.