SINGAPORE -- Japanese Defense Minister Nobuo Kishi on Wednesday stressed the importance of "peace and stability across the Taiwan Strait" at a regional meeting that also included his Chinese counterpart.
Speaking at the ASEAN Defense Ministers' Meeting Plus, held online and hosted by Brunei, Kishi said stability in the strait is important for the international community, calling for a resolution of tensions through dialogue.
The forum brings together 18 countries including the 10 members of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations, the U.S., China, Japan, South Korea, India, Russia, Australia and New Zealand. Wednesday's session marks the first such gathering since Joe Biden became U.S. president.
Kishi's remarks came a day after Taiwan reported the largest-ever air incursion by Chinese forces. Only last week, at the Group of Seven summit, advanced economies had made the same point about Taiwan Strait stability and encouraged "the peaceful resolution of cross-strait issues."
The Japanese defense minister also told the ASEAN-led meeting that China's new maritime law , which took effect in February, "contains provisions that are problematic from the standpoint of consistency with international law."
Wednesday's meeting comes as tensions between the U.S. and China continue to rise. Washington and its allies are working to strengthen their Indo-Pacific strategies, while China is asserting itself in the region -- including the South China Sea, where it has overlapping territorial claims with several ASEAN states.
China and the U.S. have yet to reveal what their representatives said during the meeting.
Kishi underscored Japan's vision of a "free and open Indo-Pacific" centered on rule of law, free trade and cooperation on infrastructure development spanning the two oceans.
Indian Defense Minister Rajnath Singh, too, stressed India's own vision of a "free, open and inclusive" order in the Indo-Pacific. He said this should be "based upon respect for sovereignty and territorial integrity of nations, peaceful resolution of disputes through dialogue and adherence to international rules and laws."
Noting recent developments in the South China Sea, Singh said his country supports "freedom of navigation, overflight and unimpeded commerce" in international waterways.
The day before the meeting, 10 ASEAN defense ministers gathered online on their own and called for an early conclusion of a code of conduct for the South China Sea.