Japan and France pledged on Tuesday to remain committed to ensuring peace and stability in the Indo-Pacific region, where China has been expanding its economic and military clout.
The two nations' foreign and defense ministers also confirmed during their "two-plus-two" talks that their basic positions on Taiwan remain unchanged, apparently in light of French President Emmanuel Macron's controversial remarks last month in relation to the self-ruled democratic island.
Macron drew criticism from Western partners when he said in a media interview that Europe must not be a "follower" of either the United States or China amid an intense rivalry between them over the Taiwan issue.