ANTALYA (Sputnik) — Japan has been increasingly concerned about China’s activities in the disputed South and East China Seas., specifically close to the Senkaku Islands.
The Senkaku Islands, known as the Diaoyu Islands in China, are the subject of long-standing regional territorial disputes between China, Japan and Taiwan. They lie on a vital shipping route and are situated above large hydrocarbon deposits.
"Prime Minister also referred to the increasing difficulty in the strategic environment in Asia Pacific," Kawamura said, referring to the Saturday meet-up ahead of the G20 summit in Antalya, Turkey.
He added that "expanded cooperation" between Japan and Australia was on the agenda.
