Japanese Foreign Minister Taro Kono on Tuesday states that his country opposes any action that intensifies tensions in East Sea. — VNA/VNS Photo Đào Tùng

TOKYO Japanese Foreign Minister Taro Kono on Tuesday said his country opposes any action that increases tension in the South China Sea (called East Sea by Viet Nam).
The minister made the statement in response to a request for comment from a Vietnam News Agency correspondent on escalating tensions in the East Sea due to unilateral activities by China that seriously violate international law, sovereignty, sovereign rights and jurisdiction; and hinder the legal oil and gas activities conducted in the Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ) of Việt Nam.
He said the East Sea was an important area for Japan and many other countries. "It is directly related to the stability and peace of the region," he said, adding that the international community, including Japan, is paying serious attention to the situation in the sea. 
The minister said after the recent East Asia Summit Foreign Ministers’ Meeting in Bangkok, he has raised the concerns about the serious situation in the East Sea, and said the international community should oppose any unilateral attempt to change the status quo and any serious action with coercion by any country.
The top Japanese diplomat asked all parties concerned to demilitarise facilities or institutions in the sea, stressing that any dispute must be solved according to international law, including the UN Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS). 
The countries should continue emphasising the need to uphold the rule of law in the East Sea, he stated. VNS