MANILA - Japanese Foreign Minister Toshimitsu Motegi on Wednesday vowed closer cooperation with the Association of Southeast Asian Nations in Manila to help them defend their territories and territorial waters amid concerns over China's assertive actions in the region.
Speaking at an annual meeting with ASEAN foreign ministers, Motegi described the 11-member regional bloc as "core" to realizing Japan's vision of a free and open Indo-Pacific, while noting that international order based on the rule of law is facing "various challenges."
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