The government emphasized concerns over China's military expansion and activities in the East and South China seas in an annual foreign policy report released Tuesday, but Beijing's growing assertiveness around Taiwan was conspicuously absent.

The 2021 edition of the Diplomatic Bluebook said China's expansion of military capabilities that lack transparency and growing unilateral actions to change the status quo in Asian waters pose "strong concerns" in the region and to the international community.

Last year's report described such Chinese military activities as "common concerns," while highlighting Chinese President Xi Jinping's visit to Japan for the Group of 20 summit in Osaka and a thaw in Japan-China relations.