Japan and Vietnam have agreed that the international community should work together to resolve the South China Sea issue "peacefully".
Japan's defense minister Takeshi Iwaya and his Vietnamese counterpart General Ngo Xuan Lich held bilateral talks on Thursday, reported NHK. During which, Iwaya expressed "regret" on China attempts to change the status quo of the South China Sea.
He urged the International community to "speak up"
China has been claiming sovereignty over the South China Sea and its untapped 11 billion barrel of oil and 190 trillion cubic feet of natural gas. Several countries including Malaysia, Philippines Taiwan, and Vietnam have condemned China. saying Beijing is breaching their territory.
However, China in recent years has increased its military activity in the sea by conducting naval exercises.
Iwaya and Lich have also agreed to advance the cooperation between Japan's Self- Defense Forces and Vietnam's military in maritime security and to maintain peace and stability of the region.
The two leaders also vowed to work together to denuclearise North Korea.