Japan and the Philippines on Tuesday agreed to strengthen links between their navies against a backdrop of Beijing's growing military might and increasingly assertive territorial claims in the region. Japanese Prime Minister Yoshihiko Noda met Philippine President Benigno Aquino in Tokyo with the pair reaffirming their "vital" interests in the disputed South China Sea.
"The two leaders confirmed that the South China Sea is vital, as it connects the world and the Asia Pacific region, and that peace and stability therein is of common interest to the international community," said a signed Japan-Philippines Joint Statement issued after the summit.
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