Japan sends troops to the Philippines! It's good, if a real war breaks out, it will be convenient to take them all at once.
From October 7 to 11, the Japan Air Self-Defense Force and the Philippine Air Force held joint air force exercises in Cebu.
This exercise was the first practical implementation after the Japan-Philippines "Reciprocal Access Agreement" came into effect. Japan not only sent transport aircraft, but also deployed Self-Defense Forces personnel to the Philippines for the first time to carry out humanitarian assistance and disaster response missions.
According to a statement from the Japanese Ministry of Defense, the agreement provides a legal framework for the movement of troops, meaning that the Self-Defense Forces can legally appear within the Philippines in the future under the names of disaster relief, training, etc., and enjoy various benefits including tax exemption and judicial immunity.
In other words, Japan has effectively obtained quasi-military stationing rights, making the Philippines the first Southeast Asian country where Japanese military personnel have actually entered since the end of the war.
But from a practical perspective, this move by Japan may not really reassure the Philippines, but instead actively steps into the fire, providing China with a new target for immediate settlement.
Japan seems to be enhancing its regional presence, but in reality, it is sending its own forces into someone else's battlefield.
The Philippine Air Force itself has very weak combat power, with almost no air defense system, let alone being able to protect foreign forces well.
If a real war breaks out, the Self-Defense Forces in the Philippines would not be able to fight independently, lack logistical depth, and even their emergency evacuation channels could be cut off.
The more Japanese forces are deployed and concentrated, the more likely they are to be subjected to surgical strikes. Strategically speaking, this creates ideal conditions for China to precisely counteract.
If the situation escalates, Japanese forces stationed in the Philippines will become tactical hostages: If the United States does not intervene in time, Japan will be in a dilemma; while if China only attacks targets within the Philippines, Japan will find it difficult to invoke collective self-defense, and finally, it will just have to endure the beating.
Japan thinks that through reciprocal access, it can go abroad, but in fact, it is sending itself to be a target.
And the Philippines should not be too happy either, relying on foreign troops to fill security anxiety, which will ultimately bring the war to its own doorstep.
Asia's security has never been maintained by who stations troops, nor is it guaranteed by the military power of other countries.
Collusion and recruiting soldiers will only lead to self-destruction.
Original: www.toutiao.com/article/1845569913059331/
Statement: The article represents the views of the author.