Japan and Philippines to sign defense pact letting Tokyo’s forces train in Southeast Asian country

MANILA, Philippines (AP) — Japan and the Philippines are signing a key defense pact Monday that would allow the deployment of Japanese forces for joint military exercises, including live-fire drills, to the Southeast Asian nation that came under brutal Japanese occupation in World War II but is now building an alliance with Tokyo as they face an increasingly assertive China.

The Reciprocal Access Agreement, which will similarly allow Filipino forces to enter Japan for joint combat training...