Japan, Philippines to Sign Troop Access Pact in July

Tokyo, June 28 (Jiji Press)--Japan and the Philippines are expected to sign a bilateral agreement on reciprocal troop access at a ministerial security meeting in Manila early next month, people familiar with the matter said Friday.

The agreement is designed to facilitate mutual visits by Japan's Self-Defense Forces and the Philippine military to each other's country. The pact gives the two countries' troops legal status when they operate in each other's country including during joint exercises.

The leaders of Japan and the Philippines agreed to start talks on the pact at a summit meeting in Manila in November last year. The Philippines will be the third country with which Japan concludes such an agreement, following Australia and Britain.

The security meeting is expected to take place on July 8, which will bring together Foreign Minister Yoko Kamikawa and Defense Minister Minoru Kihara from Japan and Foreign Secretary Enrique Manalo and Defense Secretary Gilberto Teodoro from the Philippines.

At the meeting, the ministers are also likely to confirm strengthening bilateral security and defense cooperation. It will be the second such meeting, after the first in Tokyo in April 2022.

Speaking at a press conference in Tokyo on Friday, Kihara said, "We want to strengthen cooperative relations with the Philippines, which are of significance in terms of security."

Tensions are rising between the Philippines and China over territorial claims in the South China Sea. Tokyo and Manila aim to counter Beijing's assertiveness by beefing up their security cooperation.

At the ministerial meeting, Japan and the Philippines are likely to affirm their opposition to China's unilateral attempts to change the status quo in the East China Sea and South China Sea. The two sides are also expected to discuss cooperation on defense equipment procurement.

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