Japan and Philippines cite regional tensions as they vow stronger military ties

(From left) Philippine Defence Secretary Delfin Lorenzana, Philippine Foreign Secretary Teodoro Locsin, Japanese Foreign Minister Yoshimasa Hayashi and Japanese Defence Minister Nobuo Kishi at a meeting in Tokyo on Saturday, April 9, 2022. - AFP

TOKYO, April 9 (The Straits Times/ANN): Japan and the Philippines vowed closer military cooperation via more complex, high-level joint exercises and intelligence sharing on Saturday (April 9), voicing “serious concern” over tensions in the East and South China Seas.

Their first meeting under the “two-plus-two” arrangement, involving their foreign and defence ministers, came amid heightened concerns over the war in Ukraine and the potential spillover effect in regional waters.