In a statement released after their Monday meeting, the foreign ministers from South Korea and Japan as well as the United States expressed concerns about destabilising actions that are occurring more frequently around Taiwan.

In a statement, they also stated that they were strongly opposed to "unlawful claims maritime" in the South China Sea as well as any attempts to enforce them.

The statement didn't mention China specifically, but it comes amid simmering tensions between Beijing and Washington as well as its allies regarding the South China Sea dispute.

China claims nearly the entire South China Sea. This area overlaps the exclusive economic zones Brunei (Burnei), Indonesia, Malaysia, Philippines, and Vietnam. For years, unresolved conflicts have raged over the ownership of islands and other features.

In a joint statement, Marco Rubio (U.S. Secretary Of State) and Cho Hyun (South Korean Foreign Minister) met in New York. They also discussed their continued commitment to end North Korea's nuke programme. (Reporting and editing by Jack Kim, Ju-min Park and Christian Schmollinger)

(source: Reuters)