Full coverage: The South China Sea Issue

Japanese Kyodo news has said that Japan will express its wariness over the South China Sea in its annual white paper on defense. The paper, which the cabinet is expected to approve early next month, will say China's activities in the South China Sea could be called "high-handed".

The white paper is also expected to devote a new chapter to the country's new security legislation which came into effect in March. It enables Japan to exercise the right to collective self-defence, or come to the aid of friendly nations under attack even if Japan itself is not attacked.