Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida and Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. agreed Friday to bolster defense cooperation between their countries amid China's expanding military presence in the region.At their meeting in Manila, Kishida and Marcos confirmed that they will begin negotiations on a new bilateral treaty, known as a reciprocal access agreement, to strengthen security ties and facilitate joint defense drills, according to their joint press appearance."Through our cooperation with the Philippines, we hope to maintain and strengthen a free and open international order based …READ FULL ARTICLE
