Kishida told Cheng that China was trying to change the status quo unilaterally, the Japanese foreign ministry said.
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Several Military analysts have described Vietnam’s discreet move as the most significant military decision that Hanoi has made in the South China Sea in a decade.
Meanwhile, Japan protested Tuesday over a marked increase in the number of Chinese coast guard and fishing vessels in waters near disputed islands in the East China Sea.
Kishida told Chinese Ambassador Cheng Yonghua that the ships must leave the area, saying their presence has escalated tensions.
Relations have cooled since an Arbitral Tribunal at The Hague ruled last month that China’s claims over most of the South China Sea were invalid, in a sweeping victory for the Philippines which brought the case. The U.S. has called on China to respect the ruling, but has not staged another freedom of navigation mission in which its ships sail near China’s artificial islands, which draw warnings and rebukes from Beijing.
The recent satellite photographs published by Washington-based Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS) shows the construction of the hangars on three reclaimed islands where Beijing has built military bases.
A US defense official, speaking on condition of anonymity, said it was unlikely the hangers would be used for civilian purposes.
After a United Nations court rejected China’s claims over the South China Sea, justifying the contention of the Philippines, India asked all the parties to show utmost respect to the verdict and solved the dispute peacefully. “China sticks to an open policy concerning all forms of bilateral cooperation with the Philippines”, the statement reads.
“I think it’s a mistake to take them individually and not look at them as a collective”.
Beijing denies the accusations and says U.S. patrols have ramped up tensions.
A special Philippine envoy who is in Hong Kong to test the waters of bilateral ties suggested on Tuesday that Manila and Beijing cooperate on sectors of common interest to rekindle their relationship, which was soured by maritime disputes.
In response to a request from Reuters for comment on the images, China’s Defense Ministry said that “China has indisputable sovereignty over the Spratly islands and nearby waters”.
Ramos spoke with reporters Tuesday in Hong Kong, where he said he plans to meet old friends with links to officials in Beijing as a prelude to further contacts.
Japan’s Kyodo News reported Monday that Japan wants “high-level” talks with China over the incursions as they have not stopped despite Tokyo’s protests.
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Japan and China agreed in 2008 to jointly develop the undersea reserves in the disputed area, with a ban on unilateral drilling.
