Two Chinese coastguard ships sailed into disputed waters off Japan-administered islands in the East China Sea Saturday, officials said, as the United States warned Beijing over increasing territorial assertiveness.
Australian Defence Minister David Johnston has backed comments by his United States counterpart Chuck Hagel accusing China of "destabilising" actions in the South China Sea.
The Japanese government expressed concern over the launch by North Korea of two ballistic missiles that fell into the Sea of Japan, but was not planning to suspend bilateral intergovernmental talks because of that, Japan's Chief Cabinet Secretary Yoshihide Suga said on Wednesday.
North Korea made a surprise proposal Monday that the two Koreas suspend verbal mud-slinging and military hostilities especially near the disputed Yellow Sea border from this week.