The Philippines' military chief said Thursday he hoped a key defense pact with Japan allowing for the deployment of troops to each other's territory will be signed at security talks next week.
Defense Minister Minoru Kihara and Foreign Minister Yoko Kamikawa are set to meet with their Philippine counterparts in Manila on Monday.
The Philippines and Japan — each longtime allies of the United States — have been boosting ties in the face of an increasingly confrontational China, which is locked in maritime territorial disputes with both countries.
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