The Philippines and Japan pledged to enhance their defense alliance through training exercises, logistical activities, equipment transfers and intelligence sharing on Monday amid China’s assertive moves in the South China Sea.

No foreign nation or entity has the authority to dictate how the country strengthens its defenses, the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) said on

Philippine defence minister Gilberto Teodoro said he would discuss China's attempts to change the international order during a bilateral meeting with his Japanese counterpart in Manila on Monday. (Reporting by Mikhail Flores;

Security ties strengthened amid shared concerns over China's actions in the region Japan and the Philippines agreed on Monday to further deepen defence ties in the face of an "increasingly severe" security environment in the Indo-Pacific region,

Japan and its allied Philippines agreed to a "strategic dialogue" as a means to bolster defense tech and equipment cooperation, both nations announced Monday.

The two ministers tackled regional security issues, including the maritime situation in the East and South China Seas