Japan defense minister to meet DND chief Gazmin Thursday

In this April 26, 2013 photo, Gen. Martin Dempsey, left, chairman of the U.S. Joint Chiefs of Staff, shakes hands with Japanese Defense Minister Itsunori Onodera prior to their meeting at Defense Ministry in Tokyo. INQUIRER file photo

MANILA, Philippines — The Defense Minister of Japan will meet Defense Secretary Voltaire Gazmin on Thursday as part of his two-day visit in the Philippines.

Itsunori Onodera will be at the Department of National Defense headquarters at Camp Aguinaldo at 10a.m.

No other details were provided by the DND in the advisory, but said that the media will be granted an interview after the event.

In a report by the Japan Times on June 16, it quoted a government source saying that Onodera will discuss “the current tensions in the region and to work out a coordinated response toward China” with Gazmin.

He will emphasize “the need to ensure maritime safety based on the rule of law amid China’s growing assertiveness in the East and South China seas,” the source added.