Marcos visits Japan seeking closer security ties

Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jr, center, talks with US Secretary of Defence Lloyd James Austin III, third from left, during a courtesy call at the Malacanang Palace in Manila, Philippines. - AP

TOKYO (Reuters): Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jr arrived in Japan on Wednesday for a visit that is expected to pave the way for closer security ties with Tokyo, as Manila increasingly sides with the United States in its regional tussle with China.

Marcos and Prime Minister Fumio Kishida are expected to deepen cooperation in humanitarian assistance and disaster relief, a possible precursor to establishing a broader legal framework that would allow Japanese forces to deploy to the Philippines more easily.