Japanese Prime Minister
Shinzo Abe pledged yesterday to support Viet Nam and the Philippines in their
territorial disputes with China, saying the use of force and intimidation to
change the status quo cannot be justified.
In a speech at the Asia Security Summit in Singapore, Abe said the rule of law is what makes the Asia-Pacific region stable, adding countries should adhere to international law, avoid resorting to force, and resolve conflicts peacefully.
The speech, the first by a
Japanese prime minister at the forum also known as the Shangri-La Dialogue,
came amid a recent spike in regional tensions as China deployed an oil rig on
VietNam's continental shelf. Abe expressed hope that a code of conduct will be
put in place in the South China Sea soon, adding Japan is studying the
possibility of providing patrol ships to Viet Nam.
Tokyo and Beijing remain at
odds over the sovereignty of the Senkaku/Diaoyu Islands in the East China Sea,
with Chinese fighter jets recently flying very close to Japanese Self-Defence
Forces aircraft in the area.
To avoid contingencies at
sea and in the skies, Abe urged China to keep its promise made in 2007 to set
up a communications mechanism, and pursue dialogue.
Abe is trying to bolster
Japan's defence capabilities as part of his broader remodelling of the
country's security architecture to better address China's growing assertiveness
and North Korea's missile and nuclear development programmes.
At the same time, he is
strengthening bilateral ties not just with Japan's traditional ally the United
States, but also with Southeast Asian countries and Australia to counterbalance
the rise of China.
The Shangri-La Dialogue is
being held as domestic debate intensifies over whether Japan should exercise
the right to collective self-defence, in what would be a major departure from
its postwar pacifist policy.
But Abe emphasised Japan
will continue to be a pacifist state that makes a greater contribution to
global peace.
Vietnamese delegation
The Vietnamese delegation
to the dialogue held several meetings with foreign partners on the sidelines of
the 13th IISS Asia Security Summit after their arrival in Singapore yesterday.
Defence Minister General
Phung Quang Thanh held separate meetings with his counterparts from New
Zealand, Jonathan Coleman, and Singapore, Ng Eng Heng.
Deputy Defence Minister
Senior Lieutenant General Nguyen Chi Vinh met with the head of the Russian
delegation, Deputy Defence Minister Anatoly Antonov, and the head of the Chinese
delegation, Deputy Chief of the General Staff of the People's Liberation Army
Lieutenant General Wang Guanzhong.
Minister Thanh and other
members of the Vietnamese delegation also held a working session with officials
of US company Lockheed Martin. He is scheduled to deliver a speech at the
dialogue's third plenary session today and will also hold more bilateral
meetings with the heads of some delegations to the event.
Hosted by the International
Institute for Strategic Studies (IISS), the annual dialogue will have five
plenary sessions. Participants will focus on the US's contributions to regional
stability, the process of advancing military-to-military co-operation and the
handling of tensions and conflict in the Asia-Pacific.
Source: VNA/VNN
