• 3 hours ago
The Philippine Senate ratifies a reciprocal access agreement or RAA with Japan on Monday, December 16.

Full story: https://www.rappler.com/philippines/senate-ratifies-military-access-agreement-with-japan/
Transcript
00:00The Philippine Senate ratifies a Reciprocal Access Agreement, or RRA, with Japan on Monday,
00:06December 16.
00:07This will allow militaries to deploy to each other's territories amid concerns about China's
00:11aggressiveness in the region.
00:13The agreement, a first of its kind that Japan signed in Asia, will facilitate the entry
00:18of equipment and troops for combat training and disaster relief.
00:21It will improve the military cooperation between Manila and Tokyo.
00:25All 19 Senators present voted to approve the deal, with Japanese Ambassador Kazuya
00:29Endo in attendance.
00:31The agreement was signed in July by the defense and foreign ministers of both countries, but
00:35requires parliamentary approval to take effect.
00:38The Philippines and Japan, two of the United States' closest allies in Asia, opposed China's
00:42growing assertiveness and expressed concerns over Taiwan's trade tensions.
00:47Japan has its own maritime dispute with China in the East China Sea, where the two countries
00:51have frequently clashed.

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