Philippine-Japan deal on movement of forces to take effect Sept. 11
During an event at the Department of Foreign Affairs, officials from the two countries exchanged notes on the entry into force of the Reciprocal Access Agreement, signed in July last year and later approved by their legislatures. It is Japan's first such pact with a member of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations.
Philippine Foreign Secretary Theresa Lazaro said the RAA signifies Japan's commitment to cooperating with the Philippines in its efforts to boost defense capabilities, while Defense Secretary Gilberto Teodoro praised the deal, saying it "also provides deterrence for those actors who may not see things the way we do."
Japan's Ambassador to the Philippines Kazuya Endo said the agreement is more than "a bilateral milestone" but "a momentous contribution to the realization of a free and open Indo-Pacific" in close cooperation with the United States and other like-minded partners.
China has been aggressively asserting its claims over almost the entire South China Sea, including areas the Permanent Court of Arbitration in The Hague ruled in 2016 to be within the Philippines' exclusive economic zone. Beijing also claims the Japan-administered Senkaku Islands in the East China Sea.
The deal to enhance interoperability between the Armed Forces of the Philippines and the Japan Self-Defense Forces will allow Japanese troops to participate as full members in the annual large-scale Philippine-U.S. military exercise Balikatan.
© KYODO
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
The Mainichi
an hour ago
- The Mainichi
Japan to push firms' foray into Africa under new initiative
TOKYO (Kyodo) -- The Japanese government will announce a new initiative next week to expand investment in Africa, in cooperation with India and Middle Eastern countries, at an international conference on the high-potential continent, government sources said Thursday. At the three-day Tokyo International Conference on African Development, starting next Wednesday in Yokohama near Tokyo, Japan and African nations are also expected to agree to promote academic, industrial and governmental discussions to boost trade between the regions, the sources said. Amid China's growing influence in Africa through large financial contributions, Japan will stress its role as a "partner" in working with African states to address social challenges, including fostering industries, the sources said. At the TICAD gathering, the ninth since its launch in 1993, Japanese and African political leaders are set to discuss concrete measures to strengthen cooperation in the three key areas of "economy," "society" and "peace and stability." Under the "Indian Ocean and Africa" economic initiative, Tokyo will work with New Delhi to help Japanese companies, mainly those operating in India, tap into the African market. "In general, Japanese businesses that have already advanced to India tend to view Africa as a realistic target market," and supporting them will be an effective way to contribute to Africa's development, a source said, adding that Japanese firms in the Middle East have a similar tendency. Among other economic agenda items, Japan will promote a more proactive "offer-based" official development assistance policy, replacing its traditional "request-based" approach, with a focus on northern Mozambique, which has abundant natural resources and a good natural harbor, the sources said. Japan's push for digitalization in the medical field and demining efforts in Africa, in partnership with Cambodia, which cleared thousands of landmines from its decades-long civil war that ended in the early 1990s, are also likely to be among the topics, the sources said. The triennial conference will be co-chaired by Japanese Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba and Angolan President Joao Lourenco, with more than 40 African nations expected to participate, according to government officials. Japan last hosted the TICAD talks in 2019.
The Mainichi
2 hours ago
- The Mainichi
Japan LDP's No. 2 Moriyama visits Yasukuni shrine ahead of WWII 80th anniv.
TOKYO (Kyodo) -- Hiroshi Moriyama, the No. 2 figure in the ruling Liberal Democratic Party, visited the war-linked Yasukuni shrine on Thursday, a day before Japan marks 80 years since the end of World War II. The LDP secretary general's visit comes as attention is focused on whether Cabinet ministers under Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba, a dovish moderate in the conservative party, will visit the shrine, seen as a symbol of Japan's past militarism, on the anniversary. Speaking to Kyodo News after the visit, Moriyama said, "I had three uncles who died in the war. I came to pay my respects today as I could not make plans for the 15th." Former industry minister Yasutoshi Nishimura, a close aide to late Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, visited the shrine on Wednesday. Visits by lawmakers have drawn criticism from China and South Korea, where memories of Japanese militarism before and during the war run deep. Since Ishiba took office in October, no serving Cabinet minister has visited the shrine. On the 79th anniversary, three ministers in then Prime Minister Fumio Kishida's Cabinet attended, including economic security minister Sanae Takaichi.
The Mainichi
2 hours ago
- The Mainichi
Officer blew whistle on illegal acts before false charges against Japan machinery maker
TOKYO -- A Metropolitan Police Department (MPD) investigator reported illegal acts by officers during an investigation of Japanese chemical machinery maker Ohkawara Kakohki Co. in March 2020, five days before company officials were indicted on false charges, the Mainichi Shimbun has learned. The Public Security Bureau investigator made the report to the police's inspection section, but the latter apparently did not respond, allowing the investigation to move forward. It marks the first revelation that problems with the investigation had been communicated to the MPD's inspection section prior to the executives' indictment. 3 problems sparking the whistleblowing In an investigation report over the false charges case released by the MPD on Aug. 7, the department attributed the problem to the Public Security Bureau's dysfunctional leadership. The latest findings have revealed that the MPD's inspection section was also not functioning, raising skepticism over the force's governance. The MPD investigator briefed the Mainichi on the whistleblowing report. The Public Security Bureau's First Foreign Affairs Division arrested the president and two others belonging to Ohkawara Kakohki on March 11, 2020, on suspicion of exports violating of the Foreign Exchange and Foreign Trade Act. The investigator said they called the first personnel affairs division, of which the inspection section is a part, on the morning of March 26, 15 days after the arrests, to file the anonymous report. The report was about issues with interrogations at the time of the arrest of Junji Shimada, 72, a former Ohkawara Kakohki executive. Specifically, the investigator pointed out three issues: Shinsuke Asaka, the then inspector who interrogated Shimada, scrapped a deposition that included the suspect's admission or denial of guilt; while this surfaced on March 24 in testimony by a sergeant present at the interrogation, Asaka told the sergeant, "Keep quiet as it would be a big deal if this was made public"; senior officials at the First Foreign Affairs Division were scrambling to cover up the entire episode. Normally, internal disposals of depositions are treated as "document accidents," and are investigated. If the inspector had intentionally scrapped the deposition, they could be charged with damaging documents for government use. The whistleblower says they communicated these problems in an about 20-minute phone call, and added, "Unless the MPD makes a move now, prosecutors will indict (the company executives)," noting that the detention period for the trio was due to expire on March 31. An officer on the other end of the line replied, "I will report it to my superior." No contact from HR The whistleblower hung up after sharing their private email address with the personnel affairs section official to allow for further communication. Five and a half hours after the report, the investigator sent an email to the first personnel affairs division, writing, "I am the one who called this morning. I am sending this email just in case." However, the investigator has since received no reply from the division, nor were there any signs of the division checking with the First Foreign Affairs Division over the issue. The inspector in question compiled a report on March 25 that year stating that the deposition was thrown away through "negligence." The First Foreign Affairs Division also concluded that the case was attributable to negligence and did not question the inspector. If the MPD's inspection section had acted on the issue, the investigation could have been reviewed and the indictment could have been avoided, but the Tokyo District Public Prosecutors Office indicted the president and two others on March 31. Tokyo High Court recognizing investigation as 'illegal' In July the following year, the prosecutors' office abruptly revoked the trio's indictment, saying that "suspicions have arisen over the content of the charges." It was just four days before the first court hearing. In response, Ohkawara Kakohki filed a state compensation suit, and the Tokyo High Court ruled in May 2025 that the investigation had been illegal, stating, "There were basic issues with the (investigators') judgment regarding the establishment of a crime." The ruling has since been finalized. During the state redress trial, the Shimada interrogation that had spurred the whistleblowing report became a point of contention. According to the ruling, the inspector in question deceived Shimada, who was denying the illegal export allegations, and created a deposition stating that he had admitted to the charges. After Shimada checked the content of the deposition and protested, the inspector shredded the document. The court ruled that the creation of the deposition was "illegal as it employed deceptive methods." The verdict pointed out that "it was inconceivable that (the deposition) would be disposed of so easily," which aligned with the assessment of the Public Security Bureau, and that the MPD's claims that the document was scrapped due to negligence was "unnatural." Regarding the deposition's disposal, a committee for the inquest of prosecution ruled in February that it was unreasonable not to indict the inspector. While the Tokyo District Public Prosecutors Office once again dropped charges against the inspector over suspected damaging of documents for government use, it has launched an investigation into charges of the creation and use of false official documents with seals in connection with the creation of the report stating that the deposition was scrapped due to negligence. Upon an inquiry by the Mainichi, the MPD responded, "Due to the nature of whistleblowing report, we will refrain from answering based on the assumption of either that it took place or that it did not."
