Officials of Japan, Philippines, Australia talk regional security
Senior officials of Japan had separate phone talks with the Philippine and Australian sides on May 19 to discuss issues in bilateral ties and regional security.
A China Coast Guard vessel near the disputed Diaoyu/Senkaku Islands on the East China Sea (Photo: AFP/VNA)During their talks, Japanese Prime Minister Suga Yoshihide and Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte agreed to closely cooperate in maintaining regional peace and stability.
According to the Japanese Foreign Ministry, Suga expressed his opposition to any unilateral attempts to change the status quo in the East Sea (internationally known as the South China Sea) and the East China Sea while sharing "grave concerns" over recent developments in China, including the implementation of the new coast guard law since February.
Regarding the COVID-19 fight, the Japanese leader pledged to provide 20 billion JPY (183.5 million USD) in financial support for the Philippine government for COVID-19 control measures, including assistance for developing a cold-chain distribution network for vaccines.
The same day, Defense Minister of Japan Kishi Nobuo also talked over the phone with his Australian counterpart Peter Dutton.
They affirmed the opposition to unilateral attempts to change the status quo in the East and South China seas as well as actions escalating tensions.
They underlined the importance of maintaining a maritime order based on international law, including the 1982 UN Convention on the Law of the Sea, and also expressed concerns about the new coast guard law of China./.
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