China;'s Monster Ship and BRP Teresa Magbanua, the Philippine Coast Guard's largest Vessel are currently on Standoff in Escoda Shoal on Spratly Island in the West Philippine Sea.
The Philippines and Japan signed on July 8 Monday, the Philippines-Japan Reciprocal Access Agreement or RAA, which will allow both countries to send military forces to each other's territory for joint drills. Ceremonial signing set to come ahead of 2-plus-2 talks between the two Asian states.
While the Reciprocal Access Agreement signing was established in Manila, China’s monster Ship and Philippines Coast Guard largest Vessels Theresa Magbanua, is currently in quasi stand-off, as the both ships dropped its anchored in Escoda Shoal in the Spratly Islands, about 80 miles northwest of the Philippine nearest Island of Palawan on July 3, well within Manila’s 200-miles Exclusive Economic zone.
The 12,000-ton, 165-meter China Coast Guard ship, the largest coast guard vessel in the world and nicknamed The Monster, dropped anchor at the shoal on July 3 and was still there up to present days.
Whereas the 97-meter Teresa Magbanua, the PCG’s most modern vessel, has been stationed at Escoda since April in response to the presence of Chinese maritime militias and suspected Chinese reclamation activities in the area. While at Sabina Shoal, the Chinese ship anchored within 800 yards of one of the Philippine Coast Guard’s newest and biggest ships previously deployed to the area.
The presence of the largest coast guard vessels of the Philippines and China at Escoda, underscores the heightening maritime conflict between the two countries. Since the Chinese ship arrived at the shoal, the crew of the Teresa Magbanua had constantly reminded it, through radio calls, that it was inside the country’s EEZ, and told it to leave. The Chinese response was they had sovereignty over these waters as well, and that they are also doing a maritime law enforcement operation.
Back in Manila, the Reciprocal Access Agreement (RAA), which will ease access for troops between the two countries, was signed in Philippine Presidential Palace, where Japanese foreign minister Yoko Kamikawa and defense minister Minoru Kihara paid a courtesy call to President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. on Monday. Both Japanese ministers are in Manila on the day for their two-plus-two defense and foreign ministers' meeting between the Philippines and Japan.
Minister Kamikawa, in the presence of His Excellency Ferdinand R. Marcos, Jr., President of the Republic of the Philippines, signed the Agreement between Japan and the Republic of the Philippines. Concerning the Facilitation of Reciprocal Access and Cooperation between the Self-Defense Forces of Japan and the Armed Forces of the Philippines.
The Japan-Philippines Reciprocal Access Agreement, with Gilberto Teodoro, Jr., Secretary of National Defense of the Republic of the Philippines. The signing ceremony was attended by KIHARA Minoru, Minister of Defense of Japan, and Enrique A. Manalo, Secretary for Foreign Affairs of the Republic of the Philippines.
The Japan-Philippines RAA is an agreement, which establishes procedures for the cooperative activities that are conducted by forces of Japan and the Philippines. While the forces of one country is visiting the other country, and defines a legal status of the visiting force. The Philippines is the third country with which Japan signed the RAA, following Australia and the United Kingdom.
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