TOKYO (Kyodo) -- The defense chiefs of Japan and Cambodia agreed Monday that the two nations will continue to boost their defense cooperation and exchanges, the Japanese Defense Ministry said.
Defense Minister Minoru Kihara and his Cambodian counterpart Tea Seiha, who doubles as deputy prime minister, also pledged during their meeting in Phnom Penh to promote multilateral cooperation including that between Japan and the Association of Southeast Asian Nations.
The two ministers welcomed the move last year to upgrade the Japan-Cambodia ties to a "comprehensive strategic partnership" to mark the 70th anniversary of diplomatic ties and expressed hope for stronger bilateral relations, the ministry said.
Japan has been focusing on stepping up security cooperation with ASEAN countries in recent years, in an apparent counter to China's increasing military clout in the Indo-Pacific region.
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