The United States and Japan have accused Beijing of “destabilizing actions” in the South China Sea and condemned the increasing military cooperation between Russia, China, and North Korea.
On July 28 in Tokyo, US Secretary of State Antony Blinken and Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin met with their Japanese counterparts.
In their joint statement, they “reiterated their opposition to China’s recent unlawful maritime claims, militarization, and threatening and provocative activities in the South China Sea.”
China’s “destabilizing actions in the region include unsafe encounters at sea and in the air, attempts to prevent other states from exploiting offshore resources, and the dangerous use of Coast Guard ships and maritime militias,” the statement added.
Washington and Seoul accused China of “intensifying efforts to unilaterally alter the status quo by force in the East China Sea,” adding that “China’s foreign policy aims to change the international order for its own benefit at the expense of others.”
The US and Japan also expressed concern over the “rapid expansion of China’s nuclear arsenal,” which they said is being done without transparency regarding its purpose.
The statement also highlighted concerns about the increasing strategic military cooperation between Russia and China “through joint operations and exercises near Japan, and China’s support for Russia’s defense industrial base.”
