US diplomat Kurt Campbell says China-Japan dispute cannot be solved
US diplomat acknowledges rival claims in East China Sea cannot be solved, but should be 'managed' to avoid further economic damage
The territorial dispute between China and Japan in the East China Sea can only be managed but not resolved because of the complexities involved, a US diplomat said yesterday.
Assistant Secretary of State Kurt Campbell told in a seminar in Washington that the two countries should "step back from the brink", as Tokyo vowed to ease tensions with China.
"There is recognition that certain problems are so challenging that they can only be managed. They may not be able to be solved," Campbell said.
Tensions between China and Japan have been running high since the Japanese government announced a plan to buy three of the uninhabited Diaoyu Islands - known as the Senkakus in Japan - from a private owner.
Four Chinese maritime surveillance ships and two fisheries patrol ships entered waters around the islands yesterday. Tokyo protested about the patrol, but Foreign Ministry spokesman Hong Lei said it was a normal activity.
The State Oceanic Administration said the surveillance vessels monitored Japanese ships illegally entering the waters.
Meanwhile, speaking a news conference in Tokyo, Japanese Prime Minister Yoshihiko Noda appeared to set his sights on the next administration in Beijing for breaking the deadlock.