Japanese FM, Blinken vow to boost alliance capabilities to counter China's growing assertiveness in Indo-Pacific region

Meeting on the sidelines of the two-day Group of Seven foreign ministerial meeting through Sunday in Liverpool, England, Hayashi and Blinken underscored the need to cooperate with the Association of Southeast Asian Nations as well as like-minded nations such as Australia and India, Kyodo News reported citing the Japanese Foreign Ministry statement.

The two officials agreed it is "indispensable to bolster the deterrence and response capabilities of the alliance amid the increasingly harsh security environment," the ministry said.

The ministry said, during their first in-person talks since Hayashi took up his post in early November, they did not discuss a diplomatic boycott of the Beijing Winter Olympics next year, which Washington announced last week citing China's human rights record, Kyodo News reported.

Following the lead of the United States, Australia, Britain and Canada have said they would engage in a diplomatic boycott. Japan has yet to give its position, but government and ruling coalition sources say the country is considering not sending Cabinet ministers to the upcoming global sporting event.

Hayashi and Blinken also confirmed that the two governments will arrange for an early visit to the United States by Prime Minister Fumio Kishida for his first summit with US President Joe Biden after becoming Japan's leader in early October, the Japanese publication reported.

Hayashi and Blinken reiterated their strong opposition to China's bid to alter the status quo by force in the East and South China seas and affirmed the importance of "peace and stability" across the Taiwan Strait, according to a Japanese official.

They also discussed North Korea's nuclear and missile threats, saying trilateral cooperation between Japan, the United States and South Korea is vital, the ministry added. (ANI)