While tension continues over the West Philippine Sea, Japan made an agreement to lease military aircraft to the Philippines. The deal was made during the phone conversation between Japan’s Defense Minister General Nakatani with its Philippine counterpart Voltair Gazmin on Monday afternoon May 2. It is another sign of deepening the security relation of two former foes to counter the increasing regional influence of Beijing.

Under the agreement Tokyo is going to lease up to five TC-90 airplanes and will help Manila to train pilots and aircraft mechanics. According to local media, Kyodo news said the planes can be used as surveillance aircraft. The TC-90 can fly some 1,900 kilometers (1, 180 miles), roughly double the flight range of the Philippines navy aircraft,.

After Japan recently lifted a self-imposed ban on weapon exports it will be its first lease of Self-Defense Force’s aircraft to another country Japan’s Defense Minister told the reporters “We agreed that it is important for all the countries in the region to strengthen cooperation in order to maintain peace and stability of the South China Sea,” he also added “We believe that improving the Philippines’ capability will lead to stability in the region,”

The Philippines has been seeking to strengthen ties with Japan, as tension mounted over disputed waters in South China Sea which almost are claimed by China. Other counties aside from Philippines, Vietnam, Brunei, Malaysia and Taiwan also have overlapping claims to the contested waterway. In the recent years China build contested reefs into artificial islands capable of supporting military facilities while Japan has its own dispute over the East China Sea on an uninhabited islands that it administers but that are also claimed by Beijing.