Had serious talks about China's influence in Indo-Pacific: Japan PM

Japan and the United States had serious talks about China's influence in the Indo-Pacific region, and both countries agreed to oppose any attempt to change the status quo by force in the East and the South China Seas, said Japan Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga on Friday.

"We also discussed free and open Indo-Pacific. We agreed that Japan and the US will take the lead to promote the vision through concrete efforts. We will also cooperate with other countries in the region including the ASEAN, Australia and India," Suga said at a joint press conference after holding a meeting with US President Joe Biden.

"We also had serious talks about China's influence on the peace and prosperity of the Indo-Pacific and the world at large. We agreed to oppose any attempt to change the status quo by force or coercion in the East and the South China Seas and intimidation of others in the region," he added.

Suga's statement comes amid growing Chinese activities in the East and the South China Seas which has caused serious concerns among its neighbours.

On the question of Taiwan and the rights issue in Xinjiang, the Japanese PM said, "As we engaged in an exchange of views over the regional situation, we also discussed the circumstances in Taiwan and Xinjiang Uyghur autonomous."

"There's already an agreed recognition over the importance of peace and stability of Taiwan Strait between Japan and the United States, which was reaffirmed on this occasion," he added.

The Japanese Prime Minster further said that their alliance has served its role as a foundation of peace and stability for the Indo-Pacific region and the world.

"We engaged in a far-reaching and candid exchange of views on each other political principles, challenges faced by each of our nations," Suga said.