Japanese Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga and his Vietnamese counterpart Nguyen Xuan Phuc have agreed to step up security and economic cooperation with Tokyo set to export defence equipment and technology to Hanoi amid Chinas growing influence in the region. Suga, who is on his first overseas trip since becoming prime minister last month, called Vietnam a linchpin in efforts to realise a free and open Indo-Pacific and vowed Japans continued contribution to peace and prosperity in the region.