Philippines Gen. Jessie D. Dellosa, right, and U.S. Pacific Command Commander Admiral Samuel J. Locklear III receive an honor guard as they arrive for the Philippine-U.S. Mutual Defense Board/Security Engagement Board meetings Dec. 13, 2012, at Camp Aguinaldo. [AFP]
The Philippines is forging strategic alliances and advancing diplomacy with regional allies to strengthen security capabilities. A recent agreement to expand the presence of allied forces in the country is expected to build capacity for security and military confidence.
One act of strategic alliance is the Philippines’ support of Japan’s military enhancements. Foreign Secretary Albert del Rosario said the Philippines will strongly back the rearming of Japan to deal with China’s growing military assertiveness. “We are looking for balancing factors in the region and Japan could be a significant balancing factor,” he told Financial Times.
Following World War II, Japan was barred from maintaining an Army, Navy or Air Force. The Japanese Constitution, instead, provides for Self Defense Forces, which are basically extensions of the national police force. Japan is forbidden from using force to settle international disputes.
Analysts report that Japan’s enhancement is not headed to a “full-fledged” military build-up. More importantly, Japan’s strategy appears for it to become a fuller military partner of the United States, which maintains 50,000 troops in Japan, according to Yuichi Hosoya, a professor of international politics at Keio University in Tokyo, quoted in the “1913 Intel” blog.
Japanese military strategists have discussed a “division of labor between the two militaries.” In a shared scenario, an enhanced Japanese military would shoulder a greater load with responsibility for areas like anti-submarine warfare. This would allow American forces to focus elsewhere. Current guidelines indicate work toward “integrating” Japanese and American forces by sharing command centers and intelligence.
The movement towards build-up is linked to a territorial dispute with Beijing over the Japanese-controlled Senkaku Islands, known as the Diaoyutai in China. The disagreement has also influenced Japan’s local politics. Japan’s Liberal Democratic Party [LPD] saw a landslide victory in elections held Dec. 16. Many observers predict the LDP win will usher in a government committed to a tougher stance in the territorial dispute with China. The party leader, former Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, has vowed to revise Japan’s pacifist constitution and rearm its military. Predictably, China criticized Del Rosario’s declaration of support.
In a Dec. 12 editorial, state-run China Daily described as “pathetic” the foreign secretary’s statement, saying such remarks “only play into the hands of Japanese right-wingers,” who have been clamoring to break the limits of the country’s pacifist constitution. China Daily said that for Asian countries victimized by Japanese aggression in World War II, normal ties with Japan are possible only under the condition that the country sticks to a pacifist road. “History shows us small countries tend to get the worst of it if they seek to hijack regional peace and stability as a bargaining chip. If Manila insists on playing more tricks in this regard, sooner or later it will have to pay a dear price and lose its own credibility in the region. “On the South China Sea issue, Manila is deceiving itself and miscalculating the situation if it believes it can count on support from countries like the United States and Japan. And it is apparently underestimating China’s resolve to defend its sovereignty and core interests,” the China Daily editorial added.
During the Association of Southeast Asian Nations [ASEAN] and China summit in November 2012, the regional body attempted but still failed to establish a new Code of Conduct that would guide the actions of claimant states in the area. China, along with its ally Cambodia, again stalled plans by Southeast Asian nations to develop a system for resolving disputes in the South China Sea. Beijing has refused to bring the issue before international bodies, preferring to engage other claimants individually in bilateral discussions. Aside from China and the Philippines, the Spratly Islands in the South China Sea are being claimed by Taiwan, Malaysia, Brunei and Vietnam. Believed to be located in a portion of the sea rich in oil and natural gas, the group of islands also serves as a major fishing ground.
Philippines agrees to expanded presence of US
The Philippines recently moved closer to strategic alliances with an arrangement to expand international cooperation in several areas, one of which is to have more “rotational presence” of United States forces in the country. Philippines and U.S. security officials held their Third Bilateral Strategic Dialogue Dec. 11 and 12, 2012, at the Manila Diamond Hotel, where they agreed to increase the presence of U.S. forces in the country.
At the same time, Rosario expressed strong support for rearming Japan to curb China’s increasingly forceful military posturing and balance factors in the region. During the bilateral meeting between the Philippines and the United States, Foreign Assistant Secretary for American Affairs Carlos Sorreta said, “what we are discussing right now is increasing the rotational presence of U.S. forces.”
In a statement after the two-day event, the Philippine Department of Foreign Affairs said the two countries held the dialogue at a very critical time for the Philippines. Among the issues discussed were cooperative efforts at building the capacity of the Armed Forces of the Philippines [AFP] through training, exercises and other activities.
Foreign Undersecretary Erlinda Basilio, the new Philippine envoy to China, said the results of the meeting reflect the depth of the countries’ relationship and the great potential for even greater cooperation. “This dialogue also comes at a time when the Philippines is facing great challenges in the West Philippine Sea. We are exerting every effort to resolve these issues through diplomacy and the rule of law. But it is important that we give our armed forces every available tool to defend and preserve our sovereignty and territorial integrity,” Basilio said. Basilio co-chaired the Philippine delegation, along with Defense Undersecretary Pio Lorenzo Batino. The U.S. co-chairmen were Assistant Secretary of State Kurt M. Campbell and Assistant Secretary of Defense Mark W. Lippert.
Philippines engages partnership to bolster security
During the meeting, each country finalized action plans for continued engagements for 2013. Among the cooperative activities identified were in the areas of maritime security, disaster response, cyber security, law enforcement, non-proliferation of weapons of mass destruction and inclusive economic growth. The dialogue reviewed the ongoing deepening of defense and security relations between the Philippines and the United States in the context of U.S. rebalance in the Asia Pacific.
Undersecretaries Basilio and Batino hailed the meeting as “a reaffirmation of the two countries’ commitment to work closely on current and emerging issues that are mutually important and mutually actionable,” and stressed that “both sides are working to ensure that the fruits of these discussions are translated into tangible and lasting results.” On the second day of the meetings, the countries met again to forge agreement between the countries’ militaries.
AFP chief of staff Gen. Jessie Dellosa and U.S. Pacific Command Commander Admiral Samuel J. Locklear III presided over the Philippine-U.S. Mutual Defense Board/Security Engagement Board meeting Dec. 13, 2012, at Camp Aguinaldo. They agreed to five terms of reference in the Philippine-U.S. Mutual Defense Board/Security Engagement Board [MDB/SEB] meetings:
• transfer of the Philippine National Police [PNP] from the MDB to the SEB
• designation of the SEB to deal with non-traditional threats such as piracy, cyber security, and disasters
• creation of a technology and experimentation subcommittee on civil-military operations, and
• creation of a humanitarian and disaster response working group; and activation of a counter-terrorism working group.
During the meeting, Locklear reiterated the U.S. concern for freedom of navigation and peace and stability in the region. He stressed that the United States is not taking sides in the maritime dispute at the South China Sea, but noted that Washington is concerned about anything that creates potential disruption to security.
The meeting is the final gathering of the boards for the 2012 cycle after the Standing Committee Meetings and the Executive Committee Meeting. It covers a strategic dialogue between Dellosa and Locklear as co-chairmen of the board on defense and security matters, and on the strengthening of their military ties.
The meetings are part of the regular consultations between the Philippines and the United States under their treaty obligations pursuant to the Mutual Defense Treaty and the Visiting Forces Agreement.
http://apdforum.com/en_GB/article/rmiap/articles/online/features/2012/12/30/philippines-security-alliance
One act of strategic alliance is the Philippines’ support of Japan’s military enhancements. Foreign Secretary Albert del Rosario said the Philippines will strongly back the rearming of Japan to deal with China’s growing military assertiveness. “We are looking for balancing factors in the region and Japan could be a significant balancing factor,” he told Financial Times.
Following World War II, Japan was barred from maintaining an Army, Navy or Air Force. The Japanese Constitution, instead, provides for Self Defense Forces, which are basically extensions of the national police force. Japan is forbidden from using force to settle international disputes.
Analysts report that Japan’s enhancement is not headed to a “full-fledged” military build-up. More importantly, Japan’s strategy appears for it to become a fuller military partner of the United States, which maintains 50,000 troops in Japan, according to Yuichi Hosoya, a professor of international politics at Keio University in Tokyo, quoted in the “1913 Intel” blog.
Japanese military strategists have discussed a “division of labor between the two militaries.” In a shared scenario, an enhanced Japanese military would shoulder a greater load with responsibility for areas like anti-submarine warfare. This would allow American forces to focus elsewhere. Current guidelines indicate work toward “integrating” Japanese and American forces by sharing command centers and intelligence.
The movement towards build-up is linked to a territorial dispute with Beijing over the Japanese-controlled Senkaku Islands, known as the Diaoyutai in China. The disagreement has also influenced Japan’s local politics. Japan’s Liberal Democratic Party [LPD] saw a landslide victory in elections held Dec. 16. Many observers predict the LDP win will usher in a government committed to a tougher stance in the territorial dispute with China. The party leader, former Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, has vowed to revise Japan’s pacifist constitution and rearm its military. Predictably, China criticized Del Rosario’s declaration of support.
In a Dec. 12 editorial, state-run China Daily described as “pathetic” the foreign secretary’s statement, saying such remarks “only play into the hands of Japanese right-wingers,” who have been clamoring to break the limits of the country’s pacifist constitution. China Daily said that for Asian countries victimized by Japanese aggression in World War II, normal ties with Japan are possible only under the condition that the country sticks to a pacifist road. “History shows us small countries tend to get the worst of it if they seek to hijack regional peace and stability as a bargaining chip. If Manila insists on playing more tricks in this regard, sooner or later it will have to pay a dear price and lose its own credibility in the region. “On the South China Sea issue, Manila is deceiving itself and miscalculating the situation if it believes it can count on support from countries like the United States and Japan. And it is apparently underestimating China’s resolve to defend its sovereignty and core interests,” the China Daily editorial added.
During the Association of Southeast Asian Nations [ASEAN] and China summit in November 2012, the regional body attempted but still failed to establish a new Code of Conduct that would guide the actions of claimant states in the area. China, along with its ally Cambodia, again stalled plans by Southeast Asian nations to develop a system for resolving disputes in the South China Sea. Beijing has refused to bring the issue before international bodies, preferring to engage other claimants individually in bilateral discussions. Aside from China and the Philippines, the Spratly Islands in the South China Sea are being claimed by Taiwan, Malaysia, Brunei and Vietnam. Believed to be located in a portion of the sea rich in oil and natural gas, the group of islands also serves as a major fishing ground.
Philippines agrees to expanded presence of US
The Philippines recently moved closer to strategic alliances with an arrangement to expand international cooperation in several areas, one of which is to have more “rotational presence” of United States forces in the country. Philippines and U.S. security officials held their Third Bilateral Strategic Dialogue Dec. 11 and 12, 2012, at the Manila Diamond Hotel, where they agreed to increase the presence of U.S. forces in the country.
At the same time, Rosario expressed strong support for rearming Japan to curb China’s increasingly forceful military posturing and balance factors in the region. During the bilateral meeting between the Philippines and the United States, Foreign Assistant Secretary for American Affairs Carlos Sorreta said, “what we are discussing right now is increasing the rotational presence of U.S. forces.”
In a statement after the two-day event, the Philippine Department of Foreign Affairs said the two countries held the dialogue at a very critical time for the Philippines. Among the issues discussed were cooperative efforts at building the capacity of the Armed Forces of the Philippines [AFP] through training, exercises and other activities.
Foreign Undersecretary Erlinda Basilio, the new Philippine envoy to China, said the results of the meeting reflect the depth of the countries’ relationship and the great potential for even greater cooperation. “This dialogue also comes at a time when the Philippines is facing great challenges in the West Philippine Sea. We are exerting every effort to resolve these issues through diplomacy and the rule of law. But it is important that we give our armed forces every available tool to defend and preserve our sovereignty and territorial integrity,” Basilio said. Basilio co-chaired the Philippine delegation, along with Defense Undersecretary Pio Lorenzo Batino. The U.S. co-chairmen were Assistant Secretary of State Kurt M. Campbell and Assistant Secretary of Defense Mark W. Lippert.
Philippines engages partnership to bolster security
During the meeting, each country finalized action plans for continued engagements for 2013. Among the cooperative activities identified were in the areas of maritime security, disaster response, cyber security, law enforcement, non-proliferation of weapons of mass destruction and inclusive economic growth. The dialogue reviewed the ongoing deepening of defense and security relations between the Philippines and the United States in the context of U.S. rebalance in the Asia Pacific.
Undersecretaries Basilio and Batino hailed the meeting as “a reaffirmation of the two countries’ commitment to work closely on current and emerging issues that are mutually important and mutually actionable,” and stressed that “both sides are working to ensure that the fruits of these discussions are translated into tangible and lasting results.” On the second day of the meetings, the countries met again to forge agreement between the countries’ militaries.
AFP chief of staff Gen. Jessie Dellosa and U.S. Pacific Command Commander Admiral Samuel J. Locklear III presided over the Philippine-U.S. Mutual Defense Board/Security Engagement Board meeting Dec. 13, 2012, at Camp Aguinaldo. They agreed to five terms of reference in the Philippine-U.S. Mutual Defense Board/Security Engagement Board [MDB/SEB] meetings:
• transfer of the Philippine National Police [PNP] from the MDB to the SEB
• designation of the SEB to deal with non-traditional threats such as piracy, cyber security, and disasters
• creation of a technology and experimentation subcommittee on civil-military operations, and
• creation of a humanitarian and disaster response working group; and activation of a counter-terrorism working group.
During the meeting, Locklear reiterated the U.S. concern for freedom of navigation and peace and stability in the region. He stressed that the United States is not taking sides in the maritime dispute at the South China Sea, but noted that Washington is concerned about anything that creates potential disruption to security.
The meeting is the final gathering of the boards for the 2012 cycle after the Standing Committee Meetings and the Executive Committee Meeting. It covers a strategic dialogue between Dellosa and Locklear as co-chairmen of the board on defense and security matters, and on the strengthening of their military ties.
The meetings are part of the regular consultations between the Philippines and the United States under their treaty obligations pursuant to the Mutual Defense Treaty and the Visiting Forces Agreement.
http://apdforum.com/en_GB/article/rmiap/articles/online/features/2012/12/30/philippines-security-alliance
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