Japan, Asean to advance ‘security cooperation’

TOKYO — Southeast Asian and Japanese leaders in Tokyo will commit to strengthening “maritime security cooperation,” according to a draft statement seen by Agence France-Presse (AFP), at a summit focused on boosting economic ties and also on China’s growing regional assertiveness.

Beijing claims almost the entire South China Sea, a vital trade corridor, and its increasingly aggressive behavior in disputed areas has riled nations across the region as well as Washington.

Close US ally Japan, which also has competing territorial claims with China, is upping its military spending and has boosted security cooperation in the Asia-Pacific region.

According to the draft of the summ…

Keep on reading: Japan, Asean to advance ‘security cooperation’