日本防长访问菲律宾

Japan's Kyodo news agency reports the country's Defense Minister Gen Nakatani is planning to visit the Philippines as early as April. Gen Nakatani will meet his Philippine counterpart Voltaire Gazmin.

The two may discuss Japan providing TC-90 training aircraft that can be used to conduct surveillance in the South China Sea. The TC-90 can fly twice as long as the planes now used by the Philippines. Expanding joint military exercises are also going to be covered.  As we've just mentioned, the two sides have signed a military accord.

Japan is working to sign similar deals with other Asian nations, such as Malaysia and Indonesia.