Japan and the Philippines sign a defence pact in the face of shared alarm over China

Japan and the Philippines signed a key defence pact Monday allowing the deployment of Japanese forces for joint drills in the Southeast Asian nation that came under brutal Japanese occupation in World War II but is now building an alliance with Tokyo as both face an increasingly assertive China.

The Reciprocal Access Agreement, which similarly allows Filipino forces to enter Japan for joint combat training, was signed by Philippine Defense Secretary Gilberto Teodoro and Japanese Foreign Minister Yoko Kamikawa in a Manila ceremony witnessed by President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. It would take effect after ratification by the countries' legislatures, Philippine and Japanese officials said.

Kamikawa called the signing "a groundbreaking achievement" that should further boost defence co-operation between the countries.

The Japanese and Philippine officials "expressed serious concern over the dangerous and escalatory actions by China" in Second Thomas Shoal, the scene of a recent confrontation between Chinese and Philippine forces in the South China Sea. The busy sea passage is a key global trade route which has been claimed virtually in its entirety by China but also contested in part by the Philippines, Vietnam, Malaysia, Brunei and Taiwan.

They underscored in a joint statement the need "for the international community to speak out on the importance of maintaining and strengthening the free and open international order based on the rule of law" in the disputed waters.

In Beijing, Foreign Ministry spokesperson Lin Jian said "the Asia-Pacific region does not need military blocs, let alone small groupings that instigate bloc confrontations or a new Cold War" and reminded Japan of its atrocities during World War II in Southeast Asian countries including the Philippines.

"Japan should seriously reflect on its history of aggression and act cautiously in the field of military security," the spokesperson said.

The defense pact with the Philippines, which includes live-fire drills, is the first to be forged by Japan in Asia. Japan signed similar accords with Australia in 2022 and with Britain in 2023.

Under Prime Minister Fumio Kishida, Japan has taken steps to boost its