Philippines ratifies defence treaty with Japan amid Chinese military escalations

The Philippines has ratified a defence treaty with Japan, allowing the country to station troops on each other’s territory for military exercises after growing territorial challenges from China.

According to Radio Free Asia, the Philippine Senate unanimously passed Senate Resolution Number 1248, which supports the treaty’s ratification. It will come into effect once President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. signs it and Japan’s legislature approves it.

The senate stated, “Ratifying the agreement further affirms the strategic partnership between the two countries and their mutual goal to enhance contribution to regional and international peace, security and stability.”

In a post on X, the Senate of the Philippines stated, “The Senate, voting 19-0-0, concurs in the ratification of the reciprocal access agreement (RAA) between the Philippines and Japan. Senator Imee Marcos sponsored the measure in the chamber.”

The Reciprocal Access Agreement (RAA), signed by Manila and Tokyo in July, facilitates larger joint military exercises and enables military personnel to participate in security operations, including coordinated maritime patrols, reported by RFA.

The RAA will permit the deployment of Japanese troops to the Philippines for the first time since Imperial Japan’s occupation of the country during World War II, although Japanese military personnel have recently participated as observers in exercises held in the Southeast Asian nation.

The agreement is anticipated to enhance collaboration between the Armed Forces of the Philippines and Japan’s Self-Defense Forces.

Senator Juan Miguel Zubiri highlighted, “As the President of the Philippine-Japan Parliamentary Association, I welcome and celebrate this concurrence and I look forward to how partnerships between our Armed Forces and the Self-Defense Forces of Japan will enhance our security and defence capabilities, and especially our disaster-management efforts.”

The Philippines and Japan are longstanding allies of the United States, which has been reinforcing a network of alliances to counter China’s contested territorial claims in the Pacific.