Expert Says US's Key Asian Allies Landmark Defense Pact Is Aimed To Counter 'Increasingly Assertive And Aggressive Chinese Naval Forces'

In a strategic move to counter China’s escalating assertiveness, Japan and the Philippines, two crucial U.S. allies, have penned a historic defense pact.

What Happened: The two nations signed the “Reciprocal Access Agreement” (RAA) to establish a deterrent that goes beyond U.S. support, in light of the rising tensions in the South China Sea, CNBC reported on Monday.

The RAA allows for the exchange of military forces for training and joint military drills between Tokyo and Manila. Philippine Defence Secretary Gilberto Teodoro and Japanese Foreign Minister Yoko Kamikawa signed the pact in Manila.

Teodoro mentioned that the alliance between the Philippines and Japan had been “elevated one level higher.”

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The pact also involves the exchange of defense equipment and technology, such as air and coastal surveillance radar. It expands on Japan’s Official Security Assistance initiative, which has offered defense aid to “like-minded countries” like the Philippines.

The RAA is Japan’s second such agreement with a country in the Asia-Pacific region, following a similar pact with Australia in 2022. The treaty must be ratified by the appropriate legislative bodies of the Philippines and Japan before coming into force.

According to Rahman Yaacob, a research fellow in the Southeast Asia Program at the Lowy Institute, "The elephant in the room is China, and this is the point of strategic convergence between the Philippines and Japan."

"Both countries have maritime territorial disputes with China, and they are facing increasingly assertive and aggressive Chinese naval forces," he added.

However, the RAA indicates that US allies in the region want to play a more proactive role in regional defense and security, rather than just depending on the US for deterrence.

Why It Matters: The signing of the RAA comes in the wake of escalating tensions in the region. In May, Chinese Premier Li Qiang held a trilateral summit with Japan and South Korea to discuss renewed relations.

However, the following month, the Philippines criticized China’s ‘deliberate’ aggression in the South China Sea. Amid these tensions, Beijing has urged the U.S. to refrain from “dangerous and destabilizing actions” in the region.

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This story was generated using Benzinga Neuro and edited by Pooja Rajkumari