Tokyo, 5 May, /AJMEDIA/
The Japanese and Philippine defense ministers have agreed to work toward the early conclusion of a reciprocal access agreement to boost security cooperation and facilitate joint drills, amid concern over China’s increasingly assertive actions in regional waters.
During their talks in Hawaii on Friday, Japanese Defense Minister Minoru Kihara and Philippine Defense Secretary Gilberto Teodoro also vowed to work together in realizing “a free and open Indo-Pacific based on the rule of law,” according to Japan’s Defense Ministry.
In the face of Beijing’s territorial claims in the East and South China seas, Tokyo and Manila announced the launch of RAA negotiations in November.
RAAs are intended to facilitate smoother deployment of defense personnel for training and disaster relief operations, and the relaxation of restrictions on the transportation of weapons and supplies. Japan has RAAs with Australia and Britain, and has also agreed to launch talks on such an agreement with France.
The bilateral meeting came a day after the two ministers held quadrilateral talks with their U.S. and Australian counterparts, Lloyd Austin and Richard Marles, in the U.S. island state.
