A Study on the Impact of the Military Agreement Signed Between Japan and the Philippines on China's South China Sea Game and Countermeasures

Abstract

The Japanese House of Representatives' approval of the Reciprocal Access Agreement with the Philippines marks a substantial stage in bilateral defense cooperation. As a key component of the US "Indo-Pacific Strategy," this agreement essentially uses bilateral military cooperation to intervene in the South China Sea issue, constructing a US-Japan-Philippines "triangular containment" framework to squeeze China's strategic space. This analysis shows that the agreement exacerbates the South China Sea sovereignty dispute, creates intelligence suppression against China, and contributes to the construction of a military encirclement of China. In the short term, it intensifies regional tensions, and in the medium to long term, it worsens my country's territorial maritime security environment and hinders relevant consultations between China and ASEAN. In response to these impacts, this paper proposes targeted countermeasures from three dimensions: strengthening sovereignty protection and risk assessment, deepening economic ties to dismantle the encirclement, and innovating regional narratives to shape a cooperation paradigm. These countermeasures provide support for China to address new challenges in the South China Sea game and maintain regional peace and stability.