China to Japan: don’t get involved in South China Sea row
As Beijing seeks support for its position in the dispute, Premier Li Keqiang says Tokyo should stop ‘interfering’ in sovereignty issue
China called on Japan not to get involved in the South China Sea disputes in a regional summit on Friday, where Beijing is also attempting to get support for its stance towards the disputes after a ruling by an international court.
The exchanges between Premier Li Keqiang and Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe came amid worries over tensions in the disputed waters after the Permanent Court of Arbitration in the Hague ruled against Beijing.
Li told Abe on the sideline of the Asia-Europe Meeting (Asem) of about 50 nations in Ulan Bator, Mongolia, that Tokyo should “stop hyping up and interfering in the South China Sea issue”, Xinhua reported.
Stop hyping up and interfering in the South China Sea issue
Li said the improvement of bilateral ties between the two nations had been slow because of “complicated disturbances”, and called on both to be more responsible in managing their relations.
He added that the two nations should maintain dialogue and step up economic cooperation.
China and Japan have had bitter disputes over sovereignty of the East China Sea, but Japan is not a claimant state of the South China Sea.
Abe told Li that a rule-based international order must be respected, Japan’s Kyodo news agency quoted a senior Japanese official as saying. Japan and Vietnam also agreed that the tribunal ruling must be observed.
