UPDATE - Japan, Philippines sign military access agreement

UPDATES WITH CHINA'S REACTION, COMMENTS FROM MEETING IN MANILA; CHANGES DECK; EDITS THROUGH

By Riyaz ul Khaliq

ISTANBUL (AA) - Japan and the Philippines on Monday signed a military agreement in Manila that allows troops to deploy on each other's soil, an official statement said.

The Philippines-Japan Reciprocal Access Agreement (RAA) was signed by the two countries' foreign and defense ministers in a ceremony attended by Philippines President Ferdinand Marcos Jr., the statement from the Filipino presidency said.

It allows soldiers from both countries to train and operate in each other's territories under Visiting Force status.

The signing of the pact comes amid tensions in the disputed South China Sea between the Philippines and China.

The Chinese Foreign Ministry said such cooperation "should not undermine" peace and stability in the region.

"Exchanges and cooperation between countries should not damage mutual understanding and trust among countries in the region, undermine regional peace and stability, or target or harm the interests of third parties," Foreign Ministry spokesman Lin Jian told reporters, reacting to the signing of the pact in Manila.

Japanese Foreign Minister Kamikawa Yoko and Defense Minister Kihara Minoru also held a 2+2 meeting in Manila with their Filipino counterparts Enrique Manalo and Gilberto Teodoro Jr.

During the meeting, the two sides expressed "concern" at China's "dangerous, escalatory" acts, the Tokyo-based Kyodo News reported.

The 2+2 format, the highest consultative mechanism between Tokyo and Manila, was established in April 2022 to "further deepen security and defense policy coordination, as well as security cooperation between the two nations," the statement added.

Japan is one of the Philippines’ four strategic partners, having signed 264 bilateral agreements, said the statement.

The annual trade volume between the nations climbed to $20.71 billion last year.

Manila and Tokyo are the treaty allies of the US.

While Tokyo signed the RAA with Australia and the UK, Manila has a Visiting Forces Agreement with Washington and a Status of the Visiting Forces Agreement with Canberra.