Japan boost security ties with Vietnam, ramps up pressure on China: Report
Japenese Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga on Monday agreed with his Vietnamese counterpart Nguyen Xuan Phuc to cooperate on regional issues including the disputed South China Sea (SCS).Speaking to media in Hanoi, Suga described the pact with Vietnam as a "big step in the field of security". The agreement in principle could see Japan exporting defence equipment and technologies including patrol planes and radar to Vietnam, a rival claimant and vocal critic of Beijing's expansive claims in the resource-rich South China Sea, South China Morning Post (SCMP) report.According to SCMP, Japan is ramping up pressure on China over the South China Sea.Suga, who took office last month, said Vietnam was a "cornerstone" of efforts to realise a "free and open Indo-Pacific" and that Japan would contribute to "peace and prosperity in the region", Kyodo News reported.He also criticised activities in the South China Sea "that go against the rule of law" - a veiled reference to Beijing's assertiveness in ...