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.
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