Top diplomats from US, South Korea, Japan voice concern on Taiwan Strait

SEOUL - The foreign ministers of South Korea, Japan and the US expressed concern about increasingly frequent destabilising activities around Taiwan in a joint statement issued after their meeting on Sept 22.

The three also expressed strong opposition to “unlawful maritime claims” in the South China Sea and attempts to enforce such claims, the statement said. The statement did not specifically mention China, but comes amid simmering tension between Beijing and Washington and its allies over the disputed South China Sea.

China’s Foreign Ministry said it strongly deplored and opposed the “irresponsible” remarks made by the three countries, urging them to “cease any form of connivance with separatist activities of Taiwan independence”. Regarding the South China Sea, ministry spokesman Guo Jiakun said at a press conference that the nations should respect efforts by regional countries to resolve issues through dialogue and consultation, and stop “exaggerating tensions and provoking confrontation”.

Taiwan’s Foreign Ministry welcomed the expression of concern. Taiwan will cooperate with the US, Japan, South Korea and other like-minded partners to ensure peace and stability in the Taiwan Strait and Indo-Pacific, ministry spokesman Hsiao Kuang-wei told reporters in Taipei.

China claims almost the entire South China Sea, overlapping the exclusive economic zones of Brunei, Indonesia, Malaysia, the Philippines and Vietnam. Unresolved disputes have festered for years over ownership of various islands and features.

US Secretary of State Marco Rubio, South Korean Foreign Minister Cho Hyun and Japanese Foreign Minister Iwaya Takeshi met in New York, where they also discussed the three countries’ continued commitment to ending North Korea’s nuclear programme, their joint statement said. REUTERS