Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga and Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Thursday expressed "strong opposition" to unilateral attempts to change the maritime status quo, the Japanese government said, alluding to Beijing's assertiveness in regional waters.
Their first in-person summit took place in Washington ahead of a leaders' meeting of the Quad group, which also involves the United States and Australia. The group is seen as a counterweight to China's growing clout in the Indo-Pacific region.
During the 45-minute talks, Suga hailed Modi as "an important partner" toward realizing a "free and open" Indo-Pacific and affirmed the importance of maritime security.