Japan’s participation was made possible by a visiting forces agreement reached with the Philippines amid China tensions.
Japan will deploy troops to the Philippines for the first time since World War II as it joins a major joint military exercise next month. The Japan Self-Defense Forces will send a large contingent to the Balikatan drills—Tagalog for “shoulder to shoulder," Manila's military chief General Romeo Brawner Jr.
told ABS-CBN Tuesday on the sidelines of a forum in Makati City in the Philippines. Balikatan is the largest U.S.-Philippine war games. “Eighty-one years later, this is the first time we will have Japanese combat troops again on Philippine soil. Before, we were on opposite sides. This time, we find ourselves on the same side,” he said.An observer at the 2025 drills, Japan is able to take part in this year's edition due to a Reciprocal Access Agreement with Manila that came into force in September. The agreement allows military personnel from the countries to operate on each other’s territory to improve disaster response and interoperability.reached out to the Philippine Armed Forces, Chinese Foreign Ministry, and U.S. Indo-Pacific Command by email with requests for comment. Japan and the Philippines, both of which share a defense treaty with the U.S., have taken part in a number of joint naval and air drills alongside American forces in recent years. The Philippines has also benefited from increased Japanese security assistance, becoming the only country to benefit from Tokyo’s Official Security Assistance framework for three consecutive years.has pushed to expand exports of lethal weapons—currently subject to strict controls—and to revise Japan’s post‑war pacifist constitution to give the country greater scope to exercise collective self‑defense alongside allies, amid rising concerns over threats from China and North Korea. “The current golden age of the Philippine-Japan relations is the product of all in our preceding generations who made long and tireless efforts to develop our relationship from dark times to reconciliation, from deepening ties to being elevated to a strategic partnership, and now to its new heights,” Japan’s ambassador to the Philippines, Kazuya Endo, said Tuesday during an event marking the 70th anniversary of normalized ties. “I anticipate strengthened participation of the Japan Self Defense Forces in the upcoming joint exercises held in the Philippines, particularly in the Balikatan,” he added., ours is different: The Courageous Center—it's not"both sides," it's sharp, challenging and alive with ideas. We follow facts, not factions. If that sounds like the kind of journalism you want to see thrive, we need you., you support a mission to keep the center strong and vibrant. Members enjoy: Ad-free browsing, exclusive content and editor conversations.
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