US, Japan reiterate commitment to maintain rules-based order in South China Sea

US Defence Secretary Mark Esper and Japanese Defense Minister Taro Kono on Saturday reiterated their commitment to maintain a 'rules-based order' in the East and South China Seas.

According to an official statement by the US Department of Defence, Esper hosted Kono in Guam, where they reaffirmed the strength of the US-Japan alliance and discussed ways to deepen and expand bilateral defence cooperation.

"Secretary Esper and Minister Kono exchanged views on their shared vision for a free and open Indo-Pacific region. The Secretary expressed serious concern regarding Beijing's decision to impose a national security law in Hong Kong, as well as coercive and destabilising actions vis-a-vis Taiwan," the statement said.

"Both ministers restated their commitment to maintain a rules-based order in the East and South China Seas, and more broadly in the region and world. The Secretary welcomed Japan's efforts to strengthen cooperation with other like-minded partners, including members of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN), India, Australia and trilaterally with the United States and the Republic of Korea," it stated.

The statement comes even as China continues to conduct military activities in the South China Sea region.

On Wednesday, China fired two missiles including an "aircraft-carrier killer" into the South China Sea as an act of "warning" to the United States after a US spy plane allegedly intruded into its army's no-fly airspace, a source close to the Chinese military told the South China Morning Post.

This military exercise is the latest in a long string of China's actions to assert unlawful maritime claims and disadvantage its Southeast Asian neighbours in the South China Sea, according to the US Defence Department.

Even as the international community continues to slam China for its continuous violation of international law, Senior Colonel Li Huamin, a spokesperson for the PLA Southern Theater Command was quoted as saying, "China has undisputable sovereignty over the islands in the South China Sea and their adjacent waters in the region, and the command troops are always on high alert to resolutely protect national sovereignty and safeguard peace and stability in the region of the South China Sea."

( With inputs from ANI )