(VOVworld) – Japan and the US have expressed their concern over China’s pilot flight to an illegally-built airport on Chu Thap (Fiery Cross) reef in Vietnam’s Truong Sa (Spratly) archipelago.
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| Islands illegally built by China in Vietnam’s Truong Sa archipelago (Photo: EPA) |
At a press conference on Monday, Japanese Foreign Minister Fumio Kishida said Japan is concerned about China’s unilateral action to change the status quo in the East Sea, and will take into consideration China’s illegal construction in Vietnam’s territorial waters. Mr. Fumio Kishida said Japan will cooperate with other countries to protect navigation freedom.
Earlier, Pooja Jhunjhunwala, spokesperson at the US Department of State, said China’s action has increased tension in the region. The US criticized China’s illegal construction of artificial islands in the East Sea, expressing the opinion that China plans to use the islands for military purposes.