Japan-Philippines Reciprocal Access Agreement Strengthens Defence Links Across the First Island Chain

060 – 23 July 2024 The authors' views are their own and do not represent the official position of the Institute of Defence and Strategic Studies of the S. [...] What Does (and Doesn’t) the Japan-Philippines RAA Do? Some commentators imagine that the RAA could be a precursor to the stationing of significant Japanese forces or the establishment of Japanese defence facilities in the Philippines. [...] The agreement explicitly states: “Nothing in this agreement shall be construed as providing a basis for a Party to establish its military facilities in the territory of the other Party.” An RAA, much like the “Visiting Forces Agreements” (VFAs), does not provide carte blanche access associated with the “Status of Forces Agreements” (SOFAs) the United States maintains with Japan and held with the P. [...] Each branch of the Japanese Self-Defense Forces (JSDF) and the Japan Coast Guard (JCG) also regularly train with the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) and Philippine Coast Guard (PCG). [...] What Does the Japan-Philippines RAA Mean for the Indo-Pacific? First and foremost, the RAA will enable greater and more regular security interactions between Japan and the Philippines, strengthening the “maritime wall” being assembled to counter Chinese aggression along the first island chain.