Japanese Foreign Minister Motegi Toshimitsu added that officials agreed that “China’s behavior, where inconsistent with the existing international order, presents political, economic, military and technological challenges to the alliance and to the international community.
Chinese foreign ministry spokesman Zhao Lijian appeared to respond to the statement, Reuters notes, saying the U.S. and Japan shouldn’t target or undermine the interests of any third party and instead should promote “peace and stability in the Asia-Pacific.”
The remarks come just days before a meeting in Alaska between U.S. officials and their Chinese counterparts to discuss relations between Washington and Beijing.