STRONGER DEFENSE TIES <br /><br />Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. and Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida agree on Thursday, Feb. 9, 2023 to sharply boost their defense ties, allowing Japanese troops greater access to Philippine territory, as tensions rise in Asia amid China’s growing influence. Marcos Jr. is visiting Japan shortly after he and US Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin reached an agreement on allowing the US more access to Philippine military bases to keep China’s territorial ambitions in check. The defense arrangement signed by Marcos and Kishida will allow Japanese troops to join training exercises to respond to natural disasters and humanitarian needs in the Philippines. The agreement is seen as a step toward broader military cooperation and could lead to similar agreements between Japan and other Southeast Asian nations. Kishida and Marcos also agreed to strengthen cyber and economic security. They also confirmed Japan’s continuing assistance to the Philippine coast guard in reinforcing its capabilities, including the improvement of port facilities at Subic Bay, a former US naval base. <br /><br />PHOTOS BY: AP<br /><br />Subscribe to The Manila Times Channel - https://tmt.ph/YTSubscribe<br /><br />Visit our website at https://www.manilatimes.net<br /><br />Follow us:<br />Facebook - https://tmt.ph/facebook<br />Instagram - https://tmt.ph/instagram<br />Twitter - https://tmt.ph/twitter<br />DailyMotion - https://tmt.ph/dailymotion<br /><br />Subscribe to our Digital Edition - https://tmt.ph/digital<br /><br />Check out our Podcasts:<br />Spotify - https://tmt.ph/spotify<br />Apple Podcasts - https://tmt.ph/applepodcasts<br />Amazon Music - https://tmt.ph/amazonmusic<br />Deezer: https://tmt.ph/deezer<br />Stitcher: https://tmt.ph/stitcher<br />Tune In: https://tmt.ph/tunein<br />Soundcloud: https://tmt.ph/soundcloud<br /><br />#TheManilaTimes<br />#Philippines<br />#Japan
