- ARAB NEWS
- 01 May 2025
Since 1975
Bangkok
Japanese Defense Minister Taro Kono warned against China's militarization of the South China Sea in a speech in Bangkok on Monday.
Japan strongly opposes any unilateral attempt to change the status quo and any act of coercion against other nations, Kono said at a meeting of defense ministers from member nations of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations and other countries.
He also called for international cooperation to enforce UN Security Council resolutions on North Korea, including the policing of illegal ship-to-ship transfers of goods.
At the meeting, the ASEAN side touted progress in developing a code of conduct with China to prevent conflicts.
The United States and some others expressed wariness that the code of conduct may be used to eliminate involvement from countries outside the region.
Jiji Press
