MANILA (Reuters) -Japanese Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba was set to meet President Ferdinand Marcos Jr on Tuesday during a two-day visit to the Philippines, as two of Washington's closest Asian allies seek to boost security and economic ties amid rising Indo-Pacific tensions.

The Philippines and Japan plan to expand their security partnership, their leaders said, as both countries grapple with maritime disputes with China.

Japan’s Ishiba and Philippines’s Marcos meet in Manila as nations confront China’s assertiveness in South China Sea.