Japan, the Philippines and the United States vowed to further deepen cooperation under a trilateral arrangement in the face of rising tensions in Asia's waters, the three countries said following a call among their leaders.

The three countries agreed to enhance and deepen economic, maritime and technology cooperation. Read more at straitstimes.com.

The South China Sea, a conduit for more than $3 trillion of annual ship-borne commerce, has been plagued by rising tensions for years. China claims almost the entire South China Sea despite a 2016 ruling by the Permanent Court of Arbitration found Beijing's sweeping claims had no legal basis.

The Philippines has initiated a significant move to strengthen its coastal defense by installing Japanese-supplied radar systems which threatened China near the Batanes islands. These islands, located less than 200 kilometers from Taiwan,