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Japan-Philippines deal could spell trouble in South China Sea, maritime expert warns
- Think tank founder says Reciprocal Access Agreement bolsters defence ties between Tokyo and Manila, making up for weakness of US alliance
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Japan may “cause troubles” in the South China Sea as a result of its new defence pact with the Philippines, a leading Chinese maritime expert warned ahead of the eighth anniversary of a historic ruling that rejected China’s claims in the disputed waters.
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Releasing a report on the eighth anniversary of the ruling, Wu Shicun, the founder of the think tank National Institute for South China Sea Studies, also voiced caution over a quasi-alliance among the US, Japan and the Philippines, which he said could further intensify tensions in the South China Sea.
“The Philippines is a littoral state in the South China Sea, and both the Philippines and Japan are allies of the US. The US-Japan-Philippines trilateral summit in April could be seen as a sign of the establishment of a new quasi-alliance among the three,” Wu told foreign diplomats, Chinese academics and reporters in Beijing on Thursday.
Under the Reciprocal Access Agreement (RAA), signed on Monday by Japanese Foreign Minister Yoko Kamikawa and Philippine Defence Secretary Gilberto Teodoro, Japanese forces could be deployed to the Philippines for joint military exercises, including live-fire drills in the Southeast Asian nation.
“The signing of the Reciprocal Access Agreement would bolster defence ties between Japan and the Philippines, making up for the weakness of the trilateral alliance,” Wu said.
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Amid its rivalry with China, the United States has strengthened military cooperation with the Philippines, including last year’s upgrade of the Enhanced Defence Cooperation Agreement, which granted the US armed forces access to four more bases in the country.
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