The signing of the RAA comes as China’s growing sabre-rattling towards Taiwan and over the South China Sea fuels fears of a potential conflict that could drag in the United States.
There have been escalating confrontations at sea between Chinese and Philippine ships as Beijing steps up efforts to push its claims to nearly all of the strategic waterway.
The most serious in a number of incidents happened on Jun 17 when Chinese coast guard personnel wielding knives, sticks and an axe surrounded and boarded three Philippine navy boats during a resupply mission to Second Thomas Shoal in the Spratly Islands.
A Filipino sailor lost his thumb in the incident.
Tokyo and Beijing are also at loggerheads over Japan-controlled disputed islands in the East China Sea.
Japan invaded and occupied the Philippines during World War II, but the two countries have since grown closer due to trade and investment, and more recently, to counter a resurgent China.
Japan is a key supplier of security equipment to the Philippines, including patrol vessels for its coast guard and a coastal radar surveillance system.
Tokyo’s ambassador to Manila, Kazuya Endo, flagged in a speech on Thursday “significant developments” in Japan’s defence equipment supplies to the Philippines.
Source link : https://www.channelnewsasia.com/asia/philippines-japan-sign-key-defence-pact-china-united-states-4463726
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Publish date : 2024-07-07 17:46:00
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