Vietnam Communist Party

: China has overlapping claims with Vietnam, the Philippines, Malaysia, Taiwan and Brunei in the South China Sea, according to Asahi Shimbun. It is also embroiled in a row with Japan over a group of East China Sea islets. The agreement between Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe and Vietnam Communist Party chief Nguyen Phu Trong comes after a U.S. expert said on Sept. 14 China appeared to be carrying out preparatory work for a third airstrip in contested territory in the South China Sea. Earlier this year, Japan reached an agreement with Malaysia and the Philippines to strengthen security ties. "I find it highly meaningful that we have shared serious concerns over the continuation of unilateral behaviors that change the status quo and escalate tensions, such as large-scale reclamation and building of outposts in the South China Sea," Abe told a joint news conference, without naming China. On the economic front, Japan decided to extend 28.6 billion yen in official development assistance to Vietnam for building a general hospital in Ho Chi Minh City. Japan also agreed to provide more used ships to Vietnam, in addition to six it already supplies to help with maritime patrols. "We shared understanding that all the disputes should be resolved through peaceful means, using international law including the U.N. Convention on the Law of the Sea," Trong said through an interpreter. (news.financializer.com). As reported in the news.