Filipino protesters hold placards in a rally against an United States and Japan naval drill, in front of the Japanese embassy in Manila, Philippines, 23 June 2015. [Photo/IC]

The Philippines began two military drills, one with the United States and the other with Japan, on Monday in the South China Sea, where it has several maritime disputes with China. Although called joint naval rescue exercises, the drills involve a P-3C surveillance aircraft belonging to Japan’s Maritime Self-Defense Force, which for the first time is taking part in a drill in the South China Sea.

Manila seems determined to use its military alliances with Washington and Tokyo to create disturbance in the Southeast Asian region. And this is the reason where it is holding a joint drill with Tokyo, which has repeatedly shown disdain for peace.

In an interview with Hong Kong-based Phoenix TV on June 15, Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe emphasized that Japan will never wage a war again and its new security bills will not lead to a military conflict with China. But by agreeing to export P-3C Orion patrol aircraft, equipped with anti-submarine and aerial surveillance system, and possibly normal weapons to the Philippines, Japan is out to violate international laws that forbid states to sell weapons to countries in a disputed region in order to alleviate unrest. Besides, Japan’s attempts to militarily intervene in the South China Sea issue are not signs conducive to maintaining peace.

By taking part in the joint drill in the South China Sea, a seemingly friendly gesture toward the Philippines, Japan actually has a much bigger plan: support countries which have maritime disputes with China, including Vietnam, Malaysia and Indonesia, to confront China. Therefore, Tokyo is using Manila only as an experiment to clear the way for future military intervention in the South China Sea, which contradicts Abe’s claim.

Oddly enough, by likening China to Nazi Germany, as Philippine President Benigno Aquino III did during his visit to Japan earlier this month, Manila seems to be more than willing to serve Tokyo’s military interests. But by pandering to Japan, the Philippines is disregarding the ruthless Japanese invasions of Southeast Asian countries before and during World War II.

Such baseless, history-denying remarks, however, are not new. Addressing the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland, in January 2014, Abe used another improper analogy, saying China and Japan are in a “situation similar” to that of the United Kingdom and Germany before World War I. He said Beijing’s “rapid military expansion” and double-digit annual increase in defense spending were a provocation, and sought US help if Japan was invaded by China.

Abe’s absurd metaphor was echoed by Aquino, who seems to have a sieve-like memory about Japan’s aggressive past vis-à-vis major islets and reefs in the South China Sea. During WWII, an important excuse for Japan to invade Southeast Asia was to relive those countries from colonial rule by the Western colonists.

Given their sizable power gap, the Philippines often portrays itself as a powerless state “threatened” by China’s legal territorial claims in the South China Sea. By doing so, the Philippines believes the international community will sympathize with it and accuse China of bullying smaller countries.

Aimed at helping maritime search and rescue operations and, more importantly, fulfilling security needs, China’s construction and reclamation work in the South China Sea can never be considered an attempt to “change the status quo” by force. Quite the opposite, it is Japan that is trying to force its way into the South China Sea “thanks to” the appeasement policy adopted by Southeast Asian countries like the Philippines which has agreed to provide its military base to Japan’s Self-Defense Forces for an overseas operation. The Philippines, like all other neighbors, has a stake in regional peace, and to help maintain that, it should stop playing with fire.

The author is a professor of Japan studies at China Foreign Affairs University.