Suga Says Japan Will Help ASEAN Nations Establish Rule of Law in Indo-Pacific - Reports

MOSCOW (Pakistan Point News / Sputnik - 19th October, 2020) Japanese Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga said on Monday that Tokyo would help the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) establish the rule of law in the Indo-Pacific region in response to China's actions in the South China Sea, according to media reports.

The region is witnessing territorial disputes in the South and East China seas that involve Brunei, Japan, Malaysia, the Philippines, Taiwan, Indonesia and Vietnam. Among them is the disputed Spratly Islands archipelago that China considers to be its territory, despite ruling by the Hague-based Permanent Court of Arbitration that there was no legal basis for China's maritime claims.

Suga, who is on his first overseas trip to Vietnam and Indonesia in his new role as the prime minister, said at a university in Hanoi, that Japan and the ASEAN could bolster their ties through a number of initiatives, according to the Tokyo-based NHK broadcaster.

The new Japanese prime minister also expressed dissatisfaction with Beijing's activities in the South China Sea, urging all parties to settle the disputes peacefully and in accordance with international law, the media outlet added.

Japan will further advance economic cooperation with ASEAN member states as well as supply Vietnam and the Philippines with patrol boats, Suga said.

The ASEAN member states include Brunei, Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar, the Philippines, Singapore, Thailand and Vietnam.