By Masayuki Kitano and Raju Gopalakrishnan SINGAPORE (Reuters) – Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, pushing for a greater role for Japan in regional security, said on Friday that Tokyo would offer its "utmost support" to Southeast Asian countries, several of which are locked in maritime disputes with its arch-rival China. China claims almost the entire South China Sea, rejecting rival claims to parts of it from Vietnam, the Philippines, Taiwan, Malaysia and Brunei in one of Asia's most intractable disputes and a possible flashpoint. Beijing also has a separate maritime dispute with Japan over islands in the East China Sea.
In dig at China, Japan PM says supports SE Asia on freedom of sea, air
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