An Bang island in Vietnam's Truong Sa (Spratly) archipelago in the East Sea (Photo: VNA)

The joint statement was issued after an online meeting of Foreign Minister Toshimitsu Motegi and Defence Minister Nobuo Kishi of Japan, and their respective British counterparts Dominic Raab and Ben Wallace.

The four ministers reaffirmed the importance of upholding freedom of navigation and overflight above the East Sea and urged all parties to exercise self-restraint and refrain from activities likely to raise tensions, the statement said./. VNA

East Sea: 12 years have passed and concerns, wishes still there

The first East Sea International Conference took place in 2009. Twelve years have passed, but concerns about the situation in the East Sea still remain and the desire for a peaceful, cooperative and developed East Sea is still there.