Japan and Malaysia have agreed to strengthen bilateral ties and push for “concrete cooperation” between the two countries amid China’s assertive activities in the East and South China Seas. Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida and his Malaysian counterpart Ismail Sabri Yaakob exchanged views on regional affairs in a phone call that lasted about 25 minutes on Dec. 2, according to Japan’s Foreign Ministry. Kishida voiced strong opposition to any “unilateral attempts to change the status quo in the East and South China Seas,” echoing Defense Minister Nobuo Kishi’s stance on the regional waters during a meeting with Vietnamese counterpart Phan Van Giang on Nov. 23. Kishida told the Malaysian prime minister that he intends to boost “concrete cooperation” in certain areas to achieve the “Free and Open Indo-Pacific” and strengthen bilateral ties ahead of the 65th anniversary of establishing diplomatic relations between the two nations. If that’s not all, the …