Japan and Philippines steadily deepen defence cooperation

Japan and the Philippines continue to steadily deepen defence and security relations largely due to concerns about Chinese aggression in the region. Both countries recently discussed China’s actions in the disputed South China Sea and East China Sea.

On Monday, Japan and the Philippines agreed to further deepen their defence collaboration and talk about protecting shared military information. Japanese Defence Minister Gen Nakatani and his Philippine counterpart Gilberto Teodoro forged the deals in a meeting in Manila.

Japan and the Philippines are treaty allies of the US, reported Japan Today. The three countries are among the most prominent critics of China’s actions in the region. Japan and China share a longstanding territorial dispute in relation to islands in the East China Sea.

Chinese and Philippine coast guard, on the other hand, are embroiled in a series of increasingly hostile confrontations in the South China Sea. Last year, Japan and the Philippines signed a deal for the deployment of forces for joint military and combat drills in each other’s territory.