In their last meeting before Obama leaves office next month, the two leaders affirmed that movements by the Chinese carrier Liaoning "warrant close attention from mid-term and long-term perspectives," the officials said.
Late last week, the Liaoning advanced into the western Pacific after passing the so-called "first island chain," a sea defense line China unilaterally draws running from southern Japan to Taiwan, the Philippines and the southern South China Sea.
Military experts suspect China will launch its first domestically made aircraft carrier next year.
In light of Beijing's rising maritime activity, Abe and Obama agreed in the meeting in Honolulu that it is important for Tokyo and Washington to expand alliance networks with Australia, India and other countries so as to make the Indo-Pacific free and open and ensure stability and prosperity in the region, according to the officials.
Referring to the Trans-Pacific Partnership free trade agreement, Abe told Obama that he will "tenaciously" urge the incoming administration of President-elect Donald Trump to promote the 12-nation trade deal, they said.
Abe said Japan will continue to advocate free trade. Obama was quoted as saying he will step up efforts to promote understanding on the TPP in the United States.
While Japan has ratified the pact, championed by Obama as a main pillar of his policy of a U.S. strategic rebalance to Asia, Trump has pledged to withdraw the United States from it once he takes office on Jan. 20.
On North Korea, Abe and Obama affirmed the need to strictly implement the latest U.N. Security Council sanctions resolution in response to Pyongyang's fifth and largest nuclear test in September, according to the officials.
The leaders also underscored the importance of closely coordinating trilateral security policy with South Korea, they said.
On Okinawa, Abe expressed regret over the crash landing of a U.S. Marines Osprey tilt-rotor aircraft off Nago on Dec. 13, and requested that the United States provide more information and increase efforts to ensure the safety involving the aircraft.
The United States will closely communicate with Japan over the matter, Obama was quoted as saying.
source: news.abs-cbn.com
