Xinhua Commentary: Japan

TOKYO, May 30 (Xinhua) -- In a reckless bid for narrow geopolitical gains, Japan and the Philippines have deepened their alliance, underscored by historical amnesia and fabricated threat narratives. Their recent moves risk destabilizing the Asia-Pacific and will ultimately backfire on both nations.

Philippine President Ferdinand Romualdez Marcos' recent state visit to Japan marked a worrying milestone. The two sides upgraded ties to a "comprehensive strategic partnership" and agreed to advance defense cooperation, including talks on sharing classified military data and transferring Japanese warships -- some named after World War II (WWII) vessels that invaded the Philippines.

This closer alignment ignores a brutal shared history. During WWII, Japan occupied the Philippines, committing atrocities like the Bataan Death March and Manila Massacre. Today, Japan refuses full accountability for its war crimes, while the Philippines embraces its former tormentor for security support. Historical memory is being sacrificed for short-term expediency.

To justify their collusion, Tokyo and Manila peddle baseless narratives. They claim concern over "unilateral changes" in the East China Sea and South China Sea, smearing others as destabilizing forces.

In truth, Japan is dismantling its post-war "exclusively defense-oriented" policy, expanding offensive capabilities. The Philippines provokes maritime disputes and invites external meddling.

Japan's military ambitions are particularly alarming. It recently sent combat troops for joint drills and fired offensive missiles overseas for the first time since WWII. Tokyo seeks to revise its pacifist constitution and become a "normal country" via rearmament, using the Philippines as a forward base.

For the Philippines, the matter is equally transactional. Manila hopes external partnerships will bolster its maritime claims and deter imaginary adversaries. The Philippine military has even urged the public to maintain a "wartime state," stoking domestic anxiety. In fact, it is the Philippines that has repeatedly provoked incidents at sea and spread disinformation.

By boosting joint drills, security aid and trilateral cooperation with certain non-regional countries, Japan and the Philippines are fuelling dangerous bloc politics and Cold War-style confrontation.

Moreover, their unauthorized maritime demarcation talks over an area east of China's Taiwan also blatantly violate international law, infringe upon China's sovereignty and maritime rights, and undermine the existing maritime order.

Japan and the Philippines' self-serving gambit will backfire. Japan's remilitarization sparks regional alarm and threatens its own development. The Philippines risks losing its strategic autonomy and becoming a pawn in the geopolitical rivalry.

Any bilateral cooperation should not come at the expense of regional peace and stability, nor should it target or harm the interests of third parties. Any act that undermines regional peace and unity will meet vigilance and opposition from those living in the region.

Those who ignore history, fabricate threats, and stoke confrontation will never deliver security; instead, they sow instability and will ultimately reap what they have sown. ■

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