"The United States had been invited to participate in the fleet review - essentially a parade of ships - as part of activities linked to the Western Pacific Naval Symposium, which is being held this month in Qingdao, an eastern port city.
"Japanese Defense Minister Itsunori Onodera told a news conference on Friday that Japan would take part in the regularly held naval symposium but confirmed that it had not been invited to the fleet review.
Note: Western Pacific Naval Symposium (WPNS) was formed in 1987, with China as one of the founding members. Last year (2013) the fleet review was held in Bangkok, and the year before in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.