US, Japan, Philippines meet to bolster ties as security worries mount

U.S. President Joe Biden hosts the leaders of Japan and the Philippines this week to boost economic and defence ties as the allies seek to offset China's growing might and manage risks ranging from North Korea to the wars in Ukraine and Gaza. Biden's bilateral summit with Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida on Wednesday will bring an upgrade in defence ties with Japan, Washington's cornerstone ally in the Indo-Pacific region and an increasingly important global partner. Kishida, beleaguered at home, will be greeted in America with great fanfare, with Japanese flags already festooning Washington lampposts and a glittering White House…