(VOVworld) – Japan’s Foreign Minister Fumio Kishida and the Philippines’ Foreign Secretary Albert Del Rosario agreed Monday on the importance of the rule of law in the East China Sea and East Sea where China has recently increased its maritime activities. According to Japanese Foreign Ministry officials at a meeting in Tokyo, Kishida and Del Rosario promised closer cooperation to maintain peace and security in the region.The meeting was held as Del Rosario visited Japan to attend a symposium on Japan's official development assistance program.
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| Japan’s Foreign Minister Fumio Kishida and the Philippines’ Foreign Secretary Albert Del Rosario shake hands prior to their meeting in Tokyo. (Photo: www.mofa.go.jp) |
Both Japan and the Philippines voiced concern over China’s acts in the East Sea and East China Sea and lauded other countries’ compliance with international law at sea. In September, a group of Japanese and Philippine lawmakers agreed to promote the peaceful settlement of Asia’s maritime disputes based on international law and sought to establish an “Alliance of MPs for maritime security in Asia”. They signed a joint document on cooperation to promote maritime law that encourages each country’s legislators to join the effort to establish an alliance to protect and promote maritime order based on international law.