By Kenneth Christiane L. Basilio, Reporter
JAPANESE combat troops are set to take part in annual war games within the Philippines for the primary time next month as Manila and Tokyo seek to spice up interoperability amid shared security concerns with China.
Japan’s combat forces will participate within the Philippines’ flagship Balikatan military exercises in April alongside US troops, in drills expected to be probably the most extensive in scope and intensity thus far, Philippine military Chief of Staff General Romeo S. Brawner, Jr. said on Tuesday.
“For the very first time, after a really, very very long time, combat troops from Japan, from the Japanese Self-Defense Forces, can be coming here to the Philippines to affix us within the Balikatan exercise,” he told reporters on the sidelines of a forum organized by think tank Stratbase Institute.
“Other than having more participants — we will see Japan’s participation — this may expand the scope of our defensive operations,” he said in mixed English and Filipino. “Our exercises can be broader, and we can be higher prepared for any eventuality.”
The Armed Forces of the Philippines will launch Balikatan — Filipino for “shoulder‑to‑shoulder” — on April 20, Mr. Brawner said.
The annual drills have evolved into Southeast Asia’s premier combat rehearsal because the Philippines and its allies deepen security cooperation in response to China’s growing assertiveness within the region.
Philippine and US forces have traditionally anchored the exercises, but Japan’s participation this 12 months highlights Manila’s efforts to expand its network of security partners beyond Washington.
Mr. Brawner declined to offer detailed information in regards to the scale of Japan’s involvement but said the drills could be more intense and would come with efforts to strengthen capabilities against emerging threats, including cyberwarfare. Japan is anticipated to participate in command‑and‑control exercises in addition to live‑fire drills.
“I cannot expose the precise numbers of what sort of units are coming in or the equipment they’re going to bring here, but suffice to say that they can be sending a much bigger contingent,” he said.
Japan’s participation is especially notable given its pacifist Structure, imposed by the US after World War II that renounces the usage of military force. Japan invaded several Asian nations through the war, including the Philippines.
“In 1945, we found ourselves on opposite sides of the war,” Mr. Brawner said. “This time, we discover ourselves on the side of efforts to advertise a rules‑based international order.”
Japan has emerged as a “like‑minded partner” of the Philippines in promoting regional stability, Mr. Brawner said, as China intensifies what Manila describes as coercive actions within the South China Sea while Tokyo faces its own maritime disputes with Beijing.
“It’s a partnership that not only responds to present challenges, but anticipates future demands which can be anchored in mutual respect, guided by shared values and committed to lasting peace and stability,” he said.
China claims sovereignty over much of the South China Sea based on a so‑called nine‑dash line map that dates back to the Nineteen Forties.
The claim overlaps with the Philippines’ exclusive economic zone, where Beijing has deployed coast guard and maritime militia vessels despite a 2016 ruling by a United Nations‑backed arbitral tribunal that voided its claims. Beijing has continued to reject the ruling.
Just like the Philippines, Japan can also be embroiled in a dispute with China over the Senkaku Islands, which lie near key shipping lanes and are believed to be wealthy in marine resources.
“Some countries promote only their very own interests and do that through coercion, forcing what they need to occur within the region,” Mr. Brawner said. “That can not be allowed.”
“This is the reason the coalitions we’re constructing are necessary, and one in all our most vital partners is Japan,” he added.
Individually, the Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) said China’s coast guard plans to conduct a “clearing operation” near the disputed Scarborough Shoal, a standard fishing ground for Filipino fishermen.
In a press release, the PCG said it deployed vessels to guard greater than 20 Filipino fishing boats from harassment after monitoring a Chinese coast guard ship that broadcast its “intention to conduct a clearing operation” southeast of the shoal.
The Chinese Embassy in Manila didn’t immediately reply to a request for comment sent via Viber.
Two PCG vessels, together with five patrol boats from the Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources, were dispatched to escort Filipino fishermen in the realm.
The deployment followed encounters last week by which Chinese coast guard ships allegedly used sirens and deployed rigid‑hull inflatable boats to drive Filipino fishermen away from the contested feature.
“The joint deployment ensured the protection and security of the Filipino fishermen,” the PCG said, adding that authorities also provided fuel, food packs, and ice bags to increase their fishing operations in the realm.