TOKYO: Japanese Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga said on Monday Tokyo opposes any steps to raise tension in the South China Sea, and that disputes should be resolved through peaceful means.
“Japan strongly opposes any behaviour that heightens tension in the South China Sea,” Suga said is his speech in Hanoi.
Vietnam and some other ASEAN (Association of Southeast Asian Nations) members have territorial feuds with China in vital South China Sea waterways.
“Regarding the South China Sea issue, it is important for all countries concerned not to rely on force or threat but to work toward peaceful resolution based on international law,” Suga said.
Meanwhile, Japan hailed an agreement in principle to supply Vietnam with military gear and technology, as the two governments pledged on Monday to strengthen security and economic ties amid mounting concerns about China’s assertiveness in the region.
“It is a big step in the field of security for both countries,” Japanese Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga told reporters after meeting his Vietnamese counterpart, Nguyen Xuan Phuc, in Hanoi.
The two leaders also agreed on the importance of maintaining peace, security, freedom of navigation and overflight in the South China Sea, and the peaceful settlement of disputes, Phuc said in a joint media appearance.
Suga, who took office last month after Shinzo Abe quit because of poor health, is making his overseas diplomatic debut this week, visiting Vietnam, the current chair of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN), and Indonesia, the group’s largest nation.–Agencies
