Before the agreement comes into effect, it must be ratified by Japanese lawmakers.
According to Euronews, the agreement stipulates that materials such as ammunition, fuel, food, and other necessary items will be exempt from taxes during joint exercises. This agreement was signed against the backdrop of increasing tensions between Tokyo and Beijing, especially following comments by Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takichi regarding possible Chinese actions against Taiwan, which could provoke Japan's intervention.
It is also worth noting that both countries have their own territorial disputes with China in the East China Sea and the South China Sea, which, the publication reports, continue to escalate and could involve the United States in the confrontation.
According to officials from Japan and the Philippines, the new agreement is also expected to assist the countries in responding to natural disasters and participating in UN peacekeeping missions.
Euronews emphasizes that under President Ferdinand Marcos, who took office in 2022, there has been an increase in clashes between Chinese vessels and Philippine Coast Guard ships in the South China Sea. In contrast to the previous president Rodrigo Duterte, during whose term Manila maintained closer ties with Chinese President Xi Jinping and Russian President Vladimir Putin.
Beijing claims rights over almost the entire South China Sea, actively strengthening its coast guard and naval presence, as well as creating artificial island bases. In addition to Japan and the Philippines, Malaysia, Vietnam, Brunei, and Taiwan are also involved in territorial disputes in the region.
