Philippines and Japan Plan Joint Exercises Under New Security Pact

The Defense Secretary of the Philippines announced plans for a joint exercise by Philippine and Japanese troops under a proposed reciprocal access agreement (RAA). This agreement would not only facilitate joint defense drills, but also involve a data sharing mechanism and the supply of coastal surveillance radars from Japan to the Philippines.

According to Chinese experts, the military cooperation attempts between Japan and the Philippines are viewed as a significant threat to regional peace and stability. They believe that the Philippines is collaborating with countries outside the region, particularly the US and Japan, to compensate for its own military capabilities and assert territorial claims in the South China Sea.

The experts express concerns over Japan's shift in principles on arms transfers, its containment of China's development in conjunction with the US' Indo-Pacific strategy, and the US' strategic encirclement of China through its allies and partners in the region.

The experts caution countries in the South China Sea region to be wary of external interference, which could undermine the theme of cooperation and development beneficial to all.

The Philippines and Japan are considering conducting joint military exercises under a new bilateral security pact. This plan has raised concerns from Chinese experts, who view it as a potential threat to regional peace and stability. The proposed reciprocal access agreement (RAA) between the Philippines and Japan aims to facilitate joint defense drills and data sharing, with Japan also supplying coastal surveillance radars to the Philippines. Chinese experts are worried about the implications of this cooperation, as they believe it could be a cover for the Philippines to bolster its territorial claims in the South China Sea by collaborating with external countries such as the US and Japan. The experts also express concerns over Japan's shift in principles on arms transfers, its alignment with the US' Indo-Pacific strategy to contain China's development, and the US' strategic encirclement of China through its allies and partners in the region. They caution countries in the South China Sea region to be mindful of external interference that could undermine the theme of cooperation and development beneficial to all.