The foreign ministers of Japan and the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) on Tuesday agreed on the importance of freedom of navigation in the South China Sea, where China has conflicting territorial claims with some of the 10-member bloc.
In an online meeting with his ASEAN counterparts, Toshimitsu Motegi stressed Japan's opposition to any attempts to unilaterally change the status quo of the Indo-Pacific by force, but did not single out China, according to the Foreign Ministry.
"As we face the challenge posed by the coronavirus pandemic, it is important for us to maintain and strengthen principles of the rule of law and transparency in the Indo-Pacific region," Motegi said at the beginning of the talks.