Japan, Philippines Reaffirm Cooperation over East, South China Seas

Tokyo, Oct. 22 (Jiji Press)--Japanese Foreign Minister Takeshi Iwaya and Philippine Foreign Secretary Enrique Manalo reaffirmed bilateral cooperation over the situation in the East and South China Seas on Tuesday.

In their telephone talks, Iwaya also noted that Japan is determined to uphold the international order based on the rule of law and promote multilateral cooperation involving the United States.

Separately, Iwaya exchanged opinions over the phone the same day with his Vietnamese counterpart, Bui Thanh Son, on the situation in the South China Sea, where China has been aggressively trying to establish its control.

Then they underscored the importance of boosting Japan-Vietnam cooperation in security, personal exchanges and various other fields under the two countries' comprehensive strategic partnership.

END