The foreign ministers of the Group of Seven major countries are expected to take up issues in the South China Sea at their meeting in Hiroshima from Sunday, despite China’s opposition to such talks, a U.S. Department of State spokesman said Friday.

Such issues are “important to the stability of the region, so I would suggest that those topics should be on the table,” Mark Toner said at a daily news briefing.

“Our policy has been very clear. We don’t want to see any efforts to increase or escalate tensions in the South China Sea,” Toner added.

http://www.japantimes.co.jp/news/2016/04/09/national/politics-diplomacy/g-7-foreign-chiefs-take-south-china-sea-issues-u-s-spokesman/#.VwydxqR97Dd