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Japan And Vietnam Defence Ministers Seek To Peacefully Resolve South China Sea Issue

South China Sea Issue
Japan's Defense Minister Takeshi Iwaya (left) and his Vietnamese counterpart, Ngo Xuan Lich in Hanoi
South China Sea Issue
Japan’s Defense Minister Takeshi Iwaya (left) and his Vietnamese counterpart, Ngo Xuan Lich in Hanoi

In a meeting held at Hanoi, the defence ministers of Japan and Vietnam agreed to resolve the territorial claim disputes in South China Sea, Japanese ministry officials said.

The defence ministers of Vietnam and Japan have confirmed to work peacefully together to tackle China’s rapid expansion in the South China Sea. The statement came after both the countries held an official talk in the Vietnamese capital on Thursday.

Japan’s defence minister Takeshi Iwaya met with his Vietnamese counterpart General Ngo Xuan Lich in Hanoi. As per the ANI reports, Iwaya expressed regret on China attempts to change the status quo of the South China Sea.

Both the nations signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU). The duo seeks promotion in the fields like maritime security, humanitarian assistance, disaster relief and cyber security.

The two leaders have agreed to advance the cooperation between Japan’s Self-Defence Forces and Vietnam’s military in maritime security. They vowed to maintain peace and stability of the region. Both the ministers talked upon steadily implementing UN Security Council sanctions resolutions against North Korea and denuclearise the country.

China continued to claim sovereignty over the South China Sea. It controlled the unused 11 billion barrel of oil and 190 trillion cubic feet of natural gas from the sea. Several nations, including Malaysia, Philippines, Taiwan, and Vietnam, have condemned China, saying that Beijing has infringed their territory.

China had argued that it enjoys historic rights over most of the South China Sea. But on July 12, 2016 an international tribunal in The Hague rejected its claim. The tribunal also said that China had breached international law by causing “irreparable harm” to the marine environment. The country had endangered Philippine ships and interfered with Philippine fishing and oil exploration.

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