MANILA, Philippines — The United States and Japan expressed opposition against China’s “unlawful” maritime claims, militarization of reclaimed features, and “provocative” actions in the South China Sea.
They also reiterated that the ruling by an arbitration court in The Hague that invalidated Beijing’s expansive claims over a large part of the South China Sea is “final and legally binding on the parties to that proceeding.”
China does not recognize the decision.
On Wednesday, US State Secretary Antony Blinken, US Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin III met with Japanese Foreign Minister Hayashi Yoshimasa and Japanese Defense Minister Hamada Yasukazu.
At a news conference after the meeting, Blinken said the ministers agreed “that the People’s Republic of China is the greatest shared strategic challenge that we and our allies and partners face.”
Hayashi added they “confirmed our strong opposition against unlawful claims and coercive and provocative efforts and actions by China in the South China Sea.”
According to a media note released by the US and Japan, the ministers reaffirmed their support for “unimpeded lawful commerce and full respect for international law, including freedom of navigation and overflight and other lawful uses of the sea.”
The US and Japanese officials also stated that their basic positions on Taiwan remain unchanged, and reiterated the importance of maintaining peace and stability across the Taiwan Strait.