Japan and the Philippines agreed on Saturday to consider boosting their defense cooperation at a meeting between the two countries foreign affairs and defense ministers.

After the meeting, Japanese Foreign Minister Yoshimasa Hayashi said that the two countries would consider expanding their cooperation.

Tokyo and Manila oppose China’s behavior in the Eastern and Southern China Seas, as well as Russia’s actions in Ukraine and North Korea’s missile tests.

Japan and the Philippines signed an agreement in January 2015 to strengthen defense cooperation and have since conducted a number of joint exercises.

Japan has also supplied the Philippines with troops to increase patrols in the South China Sea, where they have disputes with China.

The two countries had already agreed in the previous days to increase the joint military exercises.

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