MANILA: An "increasingly severe" security environment has made deepening security ties with the Philippines a necessity, Japan's defence chief said on Monday after a meeting with his counterpart in Manila. Speaking as he concluded a two-day visit that included a tour of Philippine air bases, Japan's Defence Minister Gen Nakatani said the two countries hoped to achieve greater operational collaboration in the future.
"Secretary (Gilberto) Teodoro Jr and I firmly concurred that the security environment surrounding us is becoming increasingly severe and it is... necessary to further enhance defence cooperation," Nakatani said. He added the countries had agreed to establish "strategic dialogue between high-level operational officers".
Nakatani's visit comes on the heels of a January foreign ministers' meeting where the Philippines and Japan vowed to strengthen security cooperation to counter actions in key sea trade routes. Philippine defence chief Teodoro Jr. told Monday's joint press briefing the two countries shared the "common cause of resisting any unilateral attempt to reshape... international law by force". — AFP
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