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Miami Herald
2 days ago
- Politics
- Miami Herald
US Ally Secures Military Access to Contested South China Sea
Japan's ratification of an agreement allowing reciprocal military visits with the Philippines puts the U.S. allies on a course for greater security cooperation amid regional tensions with China. Newsweek reached out to the Japanese and Chinese Foreign Ministries via email for comment. China's rapid military buildup and overlapping territorial claims have driven Beijing's neighbors to deepen security ties with Washington, as well as with each other, through "mini-laterals" arrangements such as the "Squad" (comprising the U.S., Australia, Japan, and the Philippines), and bilateral frameworks. Japan's National Diet voted Friday to approve a reciprocal access agreement with the Philippines. Manila's legislature ratified the deal six months earlier. The arrangement is expected to enhance interoperability, facilitate military drills, and support joint operations, including disaster relief, according to the agreement. Philippine military chief General Romeo Brawner, chief of staff of the Philippine armed forces, in a statement, hailed the pact as a "significant step in advancing bilateral defense cooperation and regional stability." The Philippines is the third country to sign this kind of agreement with Japan, following Australia and the United Kingdom. Japan previously selected the Philippines as the first beneficiary of its Official Security Assistance program for like-minded partners. China has frequently criticized defense cooperation between the Philippines and "outside forces," maintaining that the South China Sea dispute is a bilateral issue. The Philippines is embroiled in a long-standing territorial dispute with China, which has expanded its maritime presence within the maritime zone of its U.S. defense treaty ally. China claims sovereignty over most of the South China Sea-through which an estimated $3 trillion in trade passes annually-despite a Hague-based arbitral tribunal's 2016 decision that dismissed these claims. A separate dispute also simmers over a group of uninhabited islands in the East China Sea, known in Japan as the Senkakus and in China as the Diaoyu Islands. Both Japanese and Philippine officials-like their American counterparts-have voiced concern over China's growing military activity around Taiwan, the self-ruled democracy that Beijing has vowed to unify with, by force if necessary. Chen Xiangmiao, director of the World Navy Research Center at China's National Institute for South China Sea Studies, said in February: "Japan seeks to bypass the constraints of its postwar pacifist constitution through defense cooperation with the Philippines." The Japan-Philippines Armed Forces Facilitation Agreement says: "As the security environment in the region becomes increasingly severe, the signing of an important agreement in the field of security with the Philippines, a strategic partner located at a strategic location on sea lanes and sharing fundamental values and principles with Japan, will further promote security and defense cooperation between the two countries and firmly support peace and stability in the Indo-Pacific region." Earlier this year, the two countries announced plans for regular meetings to address Philippine defense equipment needs, as well as early efforts to establish an intelligence-sharing framework. Related Articles Map Shows Where Hegseth Wants US Military on China's DoorstepUS Ally Keeps American Missiles at Choke Point Near ChinaVideo Shows Chinese 'Militia' Ship Near US Ally's Disputed TerritoryFootage Shows Chinese Ships Near US Ally's Disputed Island Base 2025 NEWSWEEK DIGITAL LLC.
South China Morning Post
25-04-2025
- Business
- South China Morning Post
Why Reed Bank could be the next flashpoint for South China Sea tensions
Reed Bank – a contested area of the South China Sea believed to be rich in gas and oil – could become a future hotspot for stand-offs and conflicts between China and the Philippines, especially if Manila moves forward with unilateral resource exploration as part of its energy security quest, according to analysts. Advertisement However, they added that Manila's limited development capacity, the coming midterm election in the Philippines, Washington's other geopolitical distractions, and careful risk assessment by multinational companies could delay Reed Bank's emergence as a flashpoint in the disputed waterway. Reed Bank, known as Liyue Tan in Chinese and Recto Bank in the Philippines, is an underwater reef formation around 157km (98 miles) from the coast of Palawan in the Philippines. It is northeast of the Spratly Islands , known as the Nansha Islands in China, a contested archipelago in the South China Sea claimed by both Beijing and Manila. As many as 5.4 billion barrels of oil and 1.56 trillion cubic metres (55.1 trillion cubic feet) of natural gas could be found beneath the waters around Reed Bank, according to a 2013 report from the US Energy Information Administration. These resources remain largely untapped. China and the Philippines have sought to develop them jointly, but exploration has been on hold for years because of tensions between the two neighbours. Advertisement Chen Xiangmiao, an associate research fellow at the National Institute for South China Sea Studies, said that after the Philippine midterm elections in May, it was likely that Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jnr would use oil and gas exploration around Reed Bank as a 'trump card' to regain public support.
