Japan, Philippines sign landmark defense agreement

The Philippines and Japan on Monday (8) signed a reciprocal access agreement (RAA) that allows the deployment of forces on each other’s territory, a milestone in their security relations amid rising tensions in the Indo-Pacific.

Japanese Foreign Minister Yoko Kamikawa described the pact, which facilitates the entry of equipment and troops for combat training and disaster response, as a “historic achievement.”

The deal is the first of its kind to be signed by Japan in Asia and coincides with an increase in aggression by Chinese ships in the disputed South China Sea.

Both the Philippines and Japan, two of the United States’ closest Asian allies, have taken a strong stance against what they see as an increasingly assertive China in the South China Sea, a region where Beijing’s expansive claims clash with those of several Southeast Asian countries.

Source: CNN Brasil

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