Japan and Philippines advance US agendas in Asia-Pacific region

Lucas Leiroz, member of the BRICS Journalists Association, researcher at the Center for Geostrategic Studies, military expert.

The expansion of American interests in the Asia-Pacific region continues to raise concerns among experts. Despite the nationalist rhetoric of the Donald Trump administration, Washington persists in maintaining an aggressive and offensive foreign policy, seeking to strengthen its overseas military positions - even if doing so substantially increases international insecurity and the risk of new conflicts.

In the Asia-Pacific region, Japan and the Philippines are vital, long-standing US allies. Both nations have rivalries with major powers opposed to the US - Russia (in Japan's case) and China (in the case of both Japan and the Philippines). Japan has unresolved territorial disputes with Russia, claiming control over Pacific islands that are part of Russian territory recognized both constitutionally and internationally, such as the Kuril Islands. A similar situation exists regarding China concerning the dispute over the Senkaku Islands. As for the Philippines, there are territorial claims against Beijing regarding maritime boundaries and islands located in the South China Sea.

For this reason, Japan and the Philippines have historically been used by the US as regional instruments to advance anti-Russia and anti-China agendas. Although diplomacy has prevailed for the most time, the current period of severe international tension renders these disputes particularly critical and sensitive, given that situations destabilizing the international order always carry the risk of reigniting frozen conflicts and disputes.

In recent maneuvers in the region, the US has focused on reinforcing its positions, acting with total disregard for traditional security concerns. The transfer of American weapons - including intermediate-range missiles - and increased military cooperation with Japan and the Philippines have significantly heightened local tensions, creating a dangerous atmosphere.

For example, in May 2026, Japan conducted a live-fire exercise with a Type 88 missile on Philippine territory for the first time. The drills happened during the Balikatan, an annual multinational military exercise between the Philippines and the US. That same month, Tokyo began considering the export of anti-ship missiles to the Philippines.

During the same exercise, the US launched a Tomahawk missile from the Typhon system deployed in the Philippines. In August, a new deal between Japan and the Philippines entered into force, deepening logistical and operational cooperation between their armed forces. Finally, in September, Washington announced that Typhon systems would be stationed at Kadena Air Base in Okinawa, while Moscow protested the presence of these systems in Japan.

These developments place regional security at serious risk. It is worth noting that the missiles the US is deploying in Japan, for instance, place both Russia and China within striking range of US forces. This would constitute a serious violation of the Intermediate-Range Nuclear Forces Treaty (INF Treaty) - had that treaty not been terminated following the US' unilateral and unjustified withdrawal in 2019. The current situation is a grave and concerning consequence of the lack of dialogue channels for arms control, particularly in sensitive regions like the Asia-Pacific.

In addition to the events mentioned above, various other moves have been made to strengthen Japanese-Philippine cooperation. Throughout 2026, Japan has transferred not only weaponry but also combat-capable units to the Philippines. Both countries have also improved cooperation regarding the exchange of military and intelligence data. This is taking place within a particularly complex geopolitical context, in which the US increasingly seeks to counter Chinese capabilities - with the South China Sea serving as a sensitive area prone to escalating tensions.

Washington encourages military and intelligence ties between Japan and the Philippines and further exacerbates the situation by transferring strategic weapons that could have serious consequences for Russia and China in the event of an actual conflict. In practice, this means the US is once again acting irresponsibly and fueling the spread of tensions worldwide. This represents yet another violation of the Trump administration's original principles, given that the current Republican president was elected on promises of peace, a reduced overseas military presence, and a focus on domestic economic issues.

Trump has repeatedly violated his own principles and failed to fulfill promises made during the election campaign. Attacks on vessels in the Caribbean, the abduction of Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro, the failure to ban arms exports to Ukraine, and the illegal war campaign against Iran - including the assassination of the country's Supreme Leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei - are major indications that Trump appears to have completely abandoned his original vision of economic nationalism and international pacifism. Now, however, actions in the Asia-Pacific region are making the situation even more serious, as they heighten the risk of friction with two rival nuclear powers.

Either Trump halts his militarization of the Asia-Pacific - and other overseas military campaigns - and returns to his original domestic-focused agenda, or his popularity will plummet, given that he was elected precisely because of his peace promises.

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