PH, Japan eye own VFA

PH-Japan deal

The strategic partnership agreement between the Philippines and Japan focuses on defense and security cooperation, but also includes Japanese economic assistance.

It comes as the Philippines and the United States have protested China’s massive land reclamation to build artificial islands around reefs claimed by the Philippines and other claimants to territory in the South China Sea.

China claims nearly all of the 3.5-million-square-kilometer South China Sea, parts of which are also claimed by, besides the Philippines, Brunei, Malaysia, Vietnam and Taiwan.

Japan is also locked in a territorial dispute with China over ownership of a group of uninhabited islands in the East China Sea.

Japan has the muscle to stand up to China, but the Philippines, which has never been involved in an arms race, looks to its mutual defense treaty ally, the United States, and now Japan to modernize its military both in equipment and capabilities.

VFA with Japan

“It was discussed yesterday during our summit meeting with the prime minister that the relevant entities will start discussions, leading up to a Visiting Forces Agreement,” President Aquino said, answering questions from members of the Japan National Press Club.

“Now, the Visiting Forces Agreement will have to be passed and approved by our Senate, and we will be starting discussions on all of the details embodied in this. Currently, the Philippines has only two Visiting Forces Agreements—one with the United States of America, and we most recently passed the one with Australia. We welcome this development,” Mr. Aquino said.

Foreign military presence is a sensitive issue in the Philippines. In 1992, the Philippine Senate evicted US bases from the country in keeping with the Constitution, which prohibits foreign troops and nuclear weapons on Philippine soil.

But with China gobbling up Philippine territory in the West Philippine Sea—part of the South China Sea within Manila’s 370-km exclusive economic zone—the Philippines last year signed an Enhanced Defense Cooperation Agreement (Edca) with the United States to allow the visit of more US troops and give them access to Philippine military bases.

Joint defense operations

Japan is only the second strategic partner of the Philippines after the United States. President Aquino said this level of cooperation required the ability of the Philippines and Japan to jointly undertake defense operations.

“As I have stated previously, it does not behoove a good partnership or relationship if you are not able to work at the interoperability with the other. Agreements even for humanitarian concerns that exist only in paper will not be effective when there comes a time that you would need to be in coordination … or joint cooperation with your strategic partner,” Mr. Aquino said.

The President also welcomed Japan’s growing security engagement, saying “the Philippines does not view [this development] with any concern.”

“Japan is an ally and partner to many nations, and Japan should be able to cooperate in the fullest and most effective way to promote and protect peace. Countries of goodwill can only benefit if the Japanese government is empowered to assist others, and is allowed to come to the aid of those in need, especially in the area of collective self-defense,” Mr. Aquino said.