Exercise by US, Japan, Australia and India faced China objection: Abe

New Delhi, Sept 20 (PTI) Former Japanese premier Shinzo
Abe said on Tuesday that a proposed exercise involving the US,
Australia, Japan and India faced opposition from China.
"I know that the naval exercise by the four countries
faced a lot of opposition from China," Abe said while
addressing a gathering at the Indian Council of World Affairs
(ICWA).
He was responding to a query on the present status of the
naval exercises proposed to be involving the four countries.
Japan has taken part in trilateral exercises involving
India and the US in the Pacific Ocean. It could not take part
in the exercise this year due to the engagement of Japanese
forces in relief operations after the tsunami hit Fukushima
nuclear plant and other installations there.
Asked about the cooperation between India and Japan over
the civil nuclear programme, Abe said "Japan has been
following the guidelines of the International Atomic Energy
Agency (IAEA)."
He said that after the Fukushima nuclear plant disaster,
there was a "serious" need to look at the use of nuclear
plants for energy production.