Japan and the Philippines plan to convey to President-elect Donald Trump the urgent need for the U.S. to remain committed to upholding the rule of law in an Asian region where China's actions are causing concerns.

Japan, the Philippines and the United States vowed to further deepen cooperation under a trilateral arrangement in the face of rising tensions in Asia's waters, the three countries said following a call among their leaders.

MANILA: Japan and the Philippines vowed on Wednesday (Jan 15) to strengthen security cooperation to counter China's actions in key sea trade routes, amid speculation incoming United States President Donald Trump could scale back security commitments in Asia.

Japan, the Philippines and the United States vowed to further strengthen their ties under a trilateral arrangement in the face of growing tensions in regional waters, Manila said on Monday following a call among their leaders.

Both nations plan to engage Trump's administration and China diplomatically to ensure stability in the Indo-Pacific region.

Japanese Foreign Minister Iwaya Takeshi on Wednesday sought President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr.’s continued support for Japan’s closer cooperation with the Philippines to address security issues and other challenges in the Indo-Pacific Region.

Observers have speculated that Shigeru Ishiba’s government might be delaying ratification to avoid antagonising China.

Japanese Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba, Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. and outgoing U.S. President Joe Biden met virtually on Monday morning Asian time. Marcos' communications office said the leaders "agreed to enhance and deepen economic, maritime and technology cooperation."

Japan, the United States and the Philippines have agreed in an online meeting to continue cooperation in maritime security and other areas.

The Philippines and Japan are longtime allies of the United States, which has been strengthening its alliances with regional partners in recent years.

A Philippine security official says China is “pushing us to the wall” with growing aggression in the disputed South China Sea and warned that “all options are on the table” for Manila’s response, incl

Japanese Foreign Minister Takeshi Iwaya said on Friday that he will visit South Korea, the Philippines and Palau next week in a bid t