Japan and its allied Philippines agreed to a "strategic dialogue" as a means to bolster defense tech and equipment cooperation, both nations announced Monday.

Japan and the Philippines, however, have steadily deepened defense and security ties largely due to concerns over Chinese aggression in the region. Associated Press journalists Joeal Calupitan and Aaron Favila contributed to this report.

MANILA: An "increasingly severe" security environment has made deepening security ties with the Philippines a necessity, Japan's defence chief said

Japanese Defense Minister Gen Nakatani and his Philippine counterpart Gilberto Teodoro agreed Monday to establish a strategic dialog

The two sides also agreed to establish a “strategic dialogue” between the Self-Defense Forces and the Philippine Armed Forces to deepen operational collaboration.

The two ministers tackled regional security issues, including the maritime situation in the East and South China Seas