Japan and the Philippines agreed on Saturday to consider facilitating “reciprocal visits” to strengthen defense cooperation amid regional tensions in the South China Sea, where Beijing has increased military activity. The two countries’ foreign and defense ministers held their first “2+2” security meeting in Tokyo, during which they laid the groundwork for the next decade of their strategic partnership. Foreign affairs secretary Teodoro Locsin Jr. reaffirmed his country’s commitment to strengthening bilateral cooperation with Japan, which he described as “a reliable partner” of the Philippines. “We have achieved a substantive clarification of all the issues and in many of them produced consensus. The security ties we are developing are much less than those of an alliance but much more than a cordial relationship,” Locsin said. In a joint statement, the two countries agreed to increase defense relations through “capability building, reciprocal port calls/ship visits, transfer of more defense equipment and …