THE Senate has ratified the Reciprocal Access Agreement, or RAA, between the Philippines and Japan, a landmark pact that deepens the defense and security alliance between the two countries.The Senate resolution on the ratification passed without any opposition or abstention.The RAA was actually signed last July by Defense Secretary Gilbert Teodoro Jr. and then-Japanese foreign minister Yoko Kamikawa, but the Senate's concurrence was needed to seal the ratification.Japanese Ambassador Kazuya Endo expressed his 'heartfelt appreciation for the unwavering support of the PH Senate for the concurrence of the RAA.''Our countries have long stood together as strategic partners, and this milestone reaffirms our shared commitment to a peaceful, stable and prosperous Indo-Pacific region,' Endo said.The RAA is the first agreement of its kind that Japan has signed with an Asian country. It already has similar treaties with the United States and the United Kingdom.Like the Visiting Forces Agreement that the Philippines forged with the US, the RAA allows one country to send its troops to the other country for joint military training and disaster relief.The National Security Council said the agreement 'opens doors to opportunities for joint training, strategic exchanges and enhances military engagements — crucial elements in strengthening our defense posture and increasing our preparedness in a fast-changing geopolitical landscape.'The RAA may be couched in diplomatic nuances, but its intent is clear: it is meant to serve as a deterrent against the expansionist ambitions of China.Both Japan and the Philippines have compelling reasons to be wary of China. Tokyo and Beijing have been at odds over a cluster of uninhabited islands in the East China Sea, referred to as the Senkaku Islands by the Japanese and Diaoyu by the Chinese.The islands, which had long been under Japanese rule, came under US control after the Second World War. When the US decided to return the islands to Japan in the 1970s, China and Taiwan protested, each claiming sovereignty over them.Taiwan has since decided to let the issue slide, not wanting to sour its relations with Japan. China, on the other hand, hasn't given up its claim, emboldened by its emergence as Asia's leading military superpower.The dispute came close to igniting into an armed confrontation several times, when Chinese warplanes flew close to the island and Japanese fighter aircraft were scrambled to intercept them.The situation in the East China Sea continues to be volatile, with neither side easing up on its position.The Philippines has had its share of dangerous encounters with China, which lays claim to atolls, shoals and similar natural formations in the West Philippine Sea.Manila has been busy fending off incursions by Chinese coast guard and maritime militia in waters that are well within the Philippines' exclusive economic zone.The confrontations have dramatically escalated in the past two years. In the most violent incident so far, a Philippine Navy serviceman was seriously injured when Chinese sailors attacked a convoy of boats on a resupply mission to Ayungin Shoal last June.Beijing has also resorted to firing water cannons and beaming high-intensity lasers at Philippine vessels in pursuing its strategy of harassment.The Philippines has been reaching out to 'like-minded' countries to contain Beijing's growing assertiveness, and Japan has responded.Along with the US, the Philippines and Japan have formed what the White House described as a 'trilateral partnership built on deep historical ties ... and a shared vision for a free and open Indo-Pacific.'In a joint vision statement after their first summit in Washington last April, the partners' leaders vowed to 'oppose and resolutely respond to any attempts by China to unilaterally change the status quo by force in the South China Sea and the East China Sea.'Japan's prime minister at that time, Fumio Kishida, also assured the early approval of a reciprocal access agreement with Manila.With the RAA in place, the two Asian allies have made a giant step in promoting peace, stability and a rules-based order in the region.By forging a partnership, they have also built a stronger shield of deterrence against China's belligerence.
