The Japanese and Philippine defense ministers agreed in Singapore on Sunday to step up collaboration between their forces in the face of China’s maritime assertiveness in the East and South China seas.
Japanese Defense Minister Gen Nakatani and his Philippine counterpart Gilberto Teodoro, meeting on the sidelines of an annual Asia security forum, also agreed to promote cooperation on arms exports and maintain close communication between the countries’ defense authorities.
Hailing progress in bilateral cooperation, Teodoro said at the outset of the talks that Japan is a cornerstone for maintaining order in the region.
The talks took place after the two agreed in Manila in February to launch a strategic dialogue to intensify unit-to-unit cooperation and set up a high-level framework to promote further defense equipment and technology cooperation.
Security ties between Japan and the Philippines, both key U.S. allies, have deepened in recent years, with tensions high in the South China Sea, where Manila and Beijing are locked in territorial disputes.
