søndag 23. november 2025

How a Japan-Philippines pact is countering China

Japan and the Philippines conducted their first military drill in October 2025 as part of a key defense pact that came into effect in September. The Reciprocal Access Agreement (RAA), signed in July 2024, allows Tokyo and Manila to deploy forces on each other's soil.

Victor Andres "Dindo" Manhit, a geopolitical analyst in Manila, says the new pact elevates the allies' cooperation to a new level, including "not only at the air force level, army level, naval level, but even cyberspace."

"In those four domains, we are expecting a strong collaboration, and Japan will be able to help us as we try to modernize in our own little way," Manhit added.