The United States and Japan will bolster defense collaboration under two new agreements in the wake of China’s “provocative actions” in the disputed South China Sea and the Taiwan Strait, U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken said on Thursday. Speaking at the opening of a virtual meeting between the two countries’ foreign and defense ministers, Blinken said the allies will sign a new five-year agreement on U.S. military presence in Japan, which will help to “deepen our military readiness and interoperability.” Under the terms of the hosting deal, which will run to 2026, Japan will spend approximately $1.82 billion annually to fund its share in the upkeep of about 55,000 American troops in Japan. The two allies will also sign a new research and development agreement to collaborate on emerging defense-related issues, including ways to counter hypersonic threats and advance space-based capabilities, Blinken said. Blinken emphasized that the Japan-U.S. alliance …