00:00Japan and the Philippines have announced plans to deepen cooperation
00:03and bolster defenses against China in the South China Sea.
00:07Secretary Teutora and I, we affirmed our strong opposition to any unilateral attempts
00:14to change the status quo by force or coercion in the East China Sea and the South China Sea.
00:21We also reaffirmed the importance of sharing situational awareness between our defense
00:26authorities against the backdrop of an increasingly tense regional environment.
00:33Speaking alongside his Philippine counterpart, Japan's defense minister said Tokyo would
00:38fast-track a donation of Abu Kuma class destroyer to Manila. Philippine Defense Minister Gilberto
00:44Teodoro praised the agreement, saying they would consider arms purchases from Japan in the future.
00:49He said the two countries both face heightened tensions with China over parts of the South China Sea.
00:54We have with us today something very valuable which we can only steward and work to enhance
01:06and perhaps to expand in order for us to collectively address persistent and changing threats and vulnerabilities
01:20that we may find ourselves in, in a more unstable world.
01:29The agreement comes as Japanese troops participated for the first time in the annual U.S.-Philippine Balikatan military drills.
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