Japanese PM raises serious concerns over South China Sea

Japanese Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba expressed “serious concerns” over the situation in the South China Sea to Chinese President Xi Jinping in their first in-person talks, Tokyo’s foreign ministry said on Saturday.

But the pair agreed to work to expand cultural exchanges and continue high-level dialogue on the economy, both Tokyo and Beijing said after the talks on the sidelines of the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) summit in Peru.

The meeting comes after Ishiba kept his job as prime minister in a parliamentary vote this week despite having led the ruling coalition to its worst election result in 15 years.

Relations between Japan and China have worsened as Beijing builds up its military capacity in the region and Tokyo boosts security ties with the United States and its allies.

Ishiba “conveyed serious concerns over the Chinese military’s growing activity” to Xi, the Japanese foreign ministry said.

He stressed that “the peace and stability of the Taiwan Strait is extremely important to Japan and the international community, while also expressing serious concerns over the situation surrounding the South China Sea, Hong Kong and Xinjiang”.