Japan, Vietnam Share Concerns on South China Sea

January 06: The foreign ministers of Japan and Vietnam have shared their concerns about China’s increasing activity in the disputed South China Sea and agreed to cooperate closely on maritime security.

Foreign Minister Toshimitsu Motegi met with his counterpart Pham Binh Minh in the Vietnamese capital of Hanoi on Monday. Motegi is on a tour of four Southeast Asian countries.

Motegi told Minh that Tokyo sees Vietnam as an important international partner. Vietnam chairs ASEAN meetings this year and is a non-permanent member of the UN Security Council.

Minh responded that his country welcomes Japan’s taking a leading and active role.

Motegi and Minh also confirmed their governments’ commitment to realizing the complete denuclearization of North Korea in light of its repeated ballistic missile launches.

They agreed that Japan and Vietnam would work to bring more countries into the Trans-Pacific Partnership free trade agreement. The two also reaffirmed that they would work toward an early conclusion of the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership, or RCEP.

Source: NHK World-Japan