Reciprocal Access Agreement with the Philippines

Japan and the Philippines signed a reciprocal access agreement (RAA) to upgrade their bilateral security relationship by determining status of each force in the visit to each other. The Philippines became the third country, following the United Kingdom and Australia, for Japan to have RAA. Concerning Chinese advance to the Pacific Ocean, both countries are developing their bilateral tie to enhance security cooperation.

Japan and the Philippines had the first foreign and defense ministerial meeting, or 2+2, in these two years in Manila on July 8. Those four ministers shared concerns over the situation around the Second Thomas Shoal, in which Chinese vessels collide with the coast guard of the Philippines, expressing strong opposition to any unilateral attempts to change the status quo by force or coercion.

 

They also confirmed that they would promote exchanges and cooperation between their forces based on RAA. RAA would be expected to facilitate cooperative activities, such as joint exercises and disaster relief, to improve interoperability between both forces. Both countries hope the agreement to work for promoting security and defense cooperation and supporting peace and stability in the Indo-Pacific region.

 

In the trilateral summit meeting by Japan, the United States and the Philippines in April, the leaders expressed serious concern on dangerous activities exercised by China in the South China Sea. The agreed on having a joint exercise of their maritime forces. Upgrading the bilateral relationship to semi-alliance, Japan has decided to provide the Philippines with coastal surveillance radar.

 

The 2+2 meeting was held as an implementation of that trilateral cooperation. “They also affirmed the importance of strengthening trilateral cooperation with the United State, which aimed to complement existing multilateral mechanisms,” says joint press release of the 2+2. The ministers discussed expanding strategic cooperation with the US and Australia, sharing vision of free and open Indo-Pacific.

 

Their agenda was not limited to the issue of China’s advance. The ministers reiterated their commitment to dismantlement of all weapons of mass destruction and ballistic missiles of North Korea. It is likely that Japan, with support of the US, is building a framework dealing with China’s advance in Asia-Pacific region by inviting like-minded countries in ASEAN such as the Philippines. Japan hopes to make the bilateral cooperation with the Philippines a cornerstone of regional security framework.

 

China is constructing another framework to face pressure from the US or Japan. In the summit meeting of Shanghai Cooperation Organization held in Kazakhstan in early July, China, with Russia and other countries in Central Asia, approved a joint declaration which upheld new world order with contribution of SCO. Russian President Vladimir Putin visited Vietnam, right after a meeting with Kim Jong-un of North Korea, to enhance bilateral relationship in late June.

 

Prime Minister of Japan, Fumio Kishida, likes to use an expression that “Ukraine today is Asia-Pacific tomorrow.” That is basically a justification of his security policies for enhancing defense capability. However, security cooperation with the partners in the region may cause further growth of tension in Asia-Pacific region.

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