TOKYO: Japanese Foreign Minister HAYASHI Yoshimasa attended a meeting with his Association of Southeast Asian Nations counterparts in Indonesia on Thursday, stressing that unilateral attempts to change the status quo by force should not be tolerated, with China’s growing assertiveness in the East and South China seas in mind.

According to Japan’s Foreign Ministry, Hayashi also said that claims to maritime rights and interests, as well as maritime activities, should be conducted under the UN Convention on the Law of the Sea. He also expressed opposition to economic coercion.

Participants on the ASEAN side mentioned the importance of freedom of navigation in the South China Sea.

The Japanese and ASEAN ministers reaffirmed their close cooperation ahead of a special summit in Tokyo in December to commemorate 50 years of friendship and cooperation between the two sides.

Hayashi later attended a meeting of foreign ministers from ASEAN plus Japan, China and South Korea.

JIJI Press