The Japanese and Omani foreign ministers agreed Wednesday that the two countries will work together to maintain maritime order amid China's growing assertiveness in the Asia-Pacific region, Japanese officials said.
The agreement was reached as Foreign Minister Taro Kono and his counterpart Yusuf bin Alawi bin Abdullah met in the Omani capital of Muscat, about 500 kilometers southeast of the Strait of Hormuz, one of the world's busiest shipping lanes for crude oil.
Japan significantly depends on the region for oil imports.