MANILA (Reuters) -An increasingly complex security environment means Japan and the Philippines need to further enhance their defence cooperation, Japanese Defence Minister Gen Nakatani said on Monday ahead of a bilateral meeting in Manila.
Philippine Defense Secretary Gilberto Teodoro said he would discuss the shared values of a rules-based international order at the talks, saying a resilient partnership was needed to guard against “unilateral attempts by China and other countries to change the international order and the narrative”.
Security ties between the two U.S. allies have strengthened over the past two years as Japan and the Philippines share common concerns over China’s increasingly assertive actions in the region.
Last year, Manila and Tokyo signed a landmark military pact allowing the deployment of their forces on each other’s soil.
“As the regional and international security environments have become increasingly complex and intensified, there is an increasing need for Japan and the Philippines to further enhance defence cooperation and collaboration in order to contribute to the peace and stability in the region and international community,” Nakatani said.
(Reporting by Mikhail Flores; Editing by John Mair)
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