TOKYO — Japan on Wednesday called for stronger security ties with Southeast Asia as Tokyo looks to boost alliances at a time of growing territorial tensions with China.
Vice-minister level representatives from Japan and the 10-memberAssociation of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) began a two-day gathering at a Tokyo hotel, with several participating nations embroiled in sovereignty rows with Beijing.
“The Asia-Pacific region has various issues concerning security and defense ... including territorial conflicts in the South China Sea,” Japanese Vice Defence Minister Akinori Eto told the opening session of the closed-door meeting. “On top of the growing maturity of our economic cooperation, Japan and ASEAN need to further strengthen ties in the field of security and defense,” Eto said.
The meeting is the first high-ranking defense dialogue of its kind since hawkish Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe took office in late December following a landslide victory in general elections.
Read the full story at DefenseNews