Japan and Philippines Negotiating Reciprocal Access Agreement
Following a meeting held in Manila on 3 November, Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida and Philippines President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. confirmed that the two countries are working towards a reciprocal access agreement. The agreement would simplify procedures for joint exercises, serve as a bedrock for further defense cooperation, and allow the Japanese Self Defense Force to deploy to the Philippines with less red tape. According to President Marcos:
“We are cognizant of the benefits of having this arrangement both to our defense and military personnel and to maintaining peace and stability in our region.”
Additionally, it was agreed that the Philippines will become the first beneficiary of Japanese military assistance under the new official security assistance (OSA) framework first announced by Japan in its December 2022 National Security Strategy. Japan will provide Manila with coastal surveillance radars worth 600 million Yen ($4 million) – marking a sharp departure from Japan’s previous policy of refraining from using development aid money towards military ends.
The recent meeting reflects the gradual shift away from the old “hubs and spokes” system in the Indo-Pacific towards a more integrated security system. The new agreements with the Philippines will allow for a trilateral cooperation between the US, Japan and the Philippines which just a few years would have been completely unthinkable. Japan also signed reciprocal access agreements with Australia and the United Kingdom earlier this year which overlap with initiatives like the US-UK-Australia AUKUS agreement and the Quad. Moreover, the recent developments signify that the Marcos administration is aligning further with the United States and Japan against China rather than maintaining the more neutral stance of the previous Duterte administration.
Additionally, while security may have been one of the most notable items on the agenda, the Marcos-Kishida meeting also made progress in other areas. Kishida committed Japan to continuing support for Philippines infrastructure projects like the Manila Metro, renewable energy and smart farming.