Vietnam expressed its concern over Japan's ongoing territorial clashes with China and South Korea at last week's meeting of the ASEAN Maritime Forum in Manila, sources said Saturday.
In a statement at the forum's opening session Wednesday, Vietnam, which is involved in several sovereignty disputes in the South China Sea, described Japan's recent territorial flareups with China and South Korea as "complicated developments."
While the statement only mentioned "southeast and northeast parts of the region," a Vietnamese delegate confirmed later that these include the Japan-controlled Senkaku Islands in the East China Sea, which are claimed by China and Taiwan, and the South Korea-administered Takeshima Islands in the Sea of Japan, which Japan argues are an inherent part of its territory.