BEIJING, April 29 (Xinhua) -- China urged the U.S. and Japan not to drag the Diaoyu Islands into a bilateral security treaty on Wednesday.
Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Hong Lei was responding to a question on U.S. President Barack Obama's remarks at a joint press conference that the Diaoyu Islands were contained in a U.S.-Japan security treaty. The press conference was held after Obama's talks at the White House with Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe on Tuesday.
"No matter what others say or do, the fact that the Diaoyu Islands belong to China can not be changed, " Hong said. He reaffirmed that the Diaoyu Islands are China's inherent territory.
The Chinese government and people will firmly uphold their national sovereignty and territorial integrity, Hong said.
Hong urged the U.S. to take a responsible attitude and keep its promise of a neutral position on the territorial sovereignty issue. He said the U.S. should act in a prudent manner to play a constructive role on peace and stability in the region.
The U.S.and Japan are not the parties concerned in the South China Sea disputes and should keep a neutral position on the issue.
Hong said China's construction on the islands and reefs of Nansha is within China's sovereignty as well as lawful and justified.
When asked to comment on the new guidelines for defense cooperation between the U.S. and Japan, Hong said the U.S.-Japan alliance, a bilateral arrangement forged during the Cold War, should not undermine the interests of third parties or the peace and stability of the Asia-Pacific region.
Related:
China Voice: Japan, U.S. shouldn't drag Diaoyu Islands into bilateral defense guidelines
BEIJING, April 16 (Xinhua) -- While the United States and Japan are working on updating their bilateral defense cooperation guidelines, they should bear in mind their obligation to regional peace and stability.
The two countries plan to finalize the revision, the first since 1997, on April 27. Japanese media have reported that the revision may involve Diaoyu Island and its affiliated islands.
It is not the first time we have heard such a message. Last October, when the two countries worked on an interim report on the revision, there was similar news. Full Story
