Japan and the Philippines agreed to boost security ties in their first foreign and defense ministerial meeting on Saturday, amid worries over China’s increasingly assertive maritime activities. It was the first so-called two-plus-two talks between the two US allies, both of which have overlapping territorial claims with Beijing. “Our two countries share serious concern about the situation in the East and South China Sea and we agreed to ensure observing international laws including the 2016 arbitral award to the Philippines” in disputes with China, as well as the UN Convention of the Law of the Sea, Japan’s foreign minister Yoshimasa Hayashi said.

Japan-PH air ‘serious concern’ over South China Sea conflict. (2022, April 10). Manila Standard, pp. A1, A3.