China firmly opposes negative China-related statement by Japan, US: embassy

TOKYO, April 12 (Xinhua) -- China has lodged serious representations with the Japanese side over the negative China-related statement issued after the Japan-U.S. summit and urges Japan to stop interfering in China's internal affairs to avoid greater damage to China-Japan relations, a Chinese Embassy spokesperson said here on Thursday.

China urges Japan to respect China's core interests and major concerns, earnestly implement the important consensus on comprehensively advancing strategic and mutually beneficial relations between the two countries, drop its beggar-thy-neighbor practices and stop interfering in China's internal affairs, so as to avoid further damage to China-Japan relations, the spokesperson said.

The spokesperson of the Chinese Embassy in Japan made the remarks when asked to comment on the negative content concerning China in the latest U.S.-Japan joint leaders' statement.

The spokesperson said that Japan ignored China's repeated dissuasion and insisted on wantonly manipulating China-related issues in the Japan-U.S. leaders' meeting and joint statement, seriously interfering in China's internal affairs and harming China's interests.

Japan and the United States have also significantly strengthened their military alliance and played up camp confrontation, which will increase the risk of conflict and threaten regional peace and stability, the spokesperson added.

Japan's relevant moves violate the spirit of the four political documents between China and Japan, as well as international law and the basic norms governing international relations. China is strongly dissatisfied with and firmly opposes this, and has lodged stern representations with the Japanese side, said the spokesperson.

The spokesperson pointed out that the Diaoyu Islands are China's territory. Whatever Japan and the United States say and whatever they do cannot alter these absolute facts. The Taiwan question is purely China's internal affair that brooks no external interference. Japan should abide by its commitments and be prudent in its words and deeds. China's positions and propositions on the East China Sea and South China Sea issues have a full historical and legal basis.

Japan is not a party concerned in the South China Sea issue and should stop its disruptive actions to provoke confrontation. It must be stressed that the Japan-U.S. alliance, as a product of the Cold War, should not target a third party, let alone harm the interests of a third party. The practice of forming a "small circle" in the field of military security is completely against the trend of the times and will backfire, the spokesperson said.