Credits: ABS-CBN News
Defense Secretary Gilberto Teodoro Jr. stated on Wednesday that the Philippines-Japan Reciprocal Access Agreement (RAA) is an internal matter between the two countries and “none of China’s business.” This response follows China’s protest against the defense pact.
“The RAA is a bilateral agreement between Japan and the Philippines. So, it is a matter internal to Japan and the Philippines. So, it is actually none of China’s business because China would then be interfering in the internal affairs of both Japan and the Philippines,” Teodoro told ABS-CBN News during an ambush interview.
Teodoro made these remarks at the Management Association of the Philippines’ meeting in Taguig City, where he discussed government efforts to defend and protect the country’s territory and sovereignty. These efforts include equipping the military with training and equipment and strengthening alliances with like-minded countries. The Philippines and Japan recently signed the RAA, which provides a legal framework for the deployment of Japanese troops and equipment in the Philippines and vice versa.
China’s Foreign Ministry spokesperson Lin Jian expressed concerns, stating that Manila-Tokyo cooperation “should not threaten regional peace and stability, target any third party, or harm the interests of any third party.” He added, “The Asia-Pacific region does not need any military bloc, still less groupings that incite bloc confrontation or a new Cold War.”
Both the Philippines and Japan have longstanding maritime territorial disputes with China, and the RAA allows for increased cooperation between their militaries in combat training and disaster response.
‘Prepare for War by Deterrence’
Teodoro emphasized that the Philippines is upgrading its military and strengthening ties with other alliances to address external threats.
“We prepare for war by deterrence — that is the best way to prepare. It is by deterring any aggressive activity or intention of anyone within our territory. That is why we are embarking on Re-Horizon 3 and we are actively entering into negotiations with like-minded nations to build up our capabilities to deter. And secondly, if you noticed, the alliance-building efforts are precisely for deterrence because war is unthinkable. We must be really prepared for,” he said during the forum.
Re-Horizon 3 is the Philippines’ revised phase that aims to not only acquire new equipment but also remove inefficiencies, streamline the procurement process, and develop a better defense strategy. Teodoro clarified that the military training is not intended to incite war or political destabilization.
“There is a lot of talk, which is once again, disinformation from China — that the increase in our training is preparation for war. No, that is not true; that is scaring our people. The truth is the Armed Forces of the Philippines has never trained to the level that it should train; it has never used and tested the equipment it has bought. So, today we are doing that and we are spending ammunition and other capabilities so that we can train,” he said in his speech.