Australia conveys message of neutrality

The Australian foreign minister conveyed Canberra's neutral stance on Japan's territorial dispute with China to his Japanese counterpart on Sunday.

Their meeting came amid Tokyo officials' attempts to win regional countries' support for their plans to rein in China on maritime issues.

Japan has said it is trying to promote economic and security cooperation yet is still trying to contain China in maritime disputes. Observers said those attempts will increase regional tensions rather than reduce them.