Senior official tells Japan not to meddle in South China Sea
But China’s information minister also stresses need to improve Sino-Japanese ties
China’s information minister called on Japan on Tuesday not to interfere in territorial disputes in the South China Sea, but also stressed the need to promote bilateral ties.
“There are people who make a fuss about it, although it originally is not Japan’s problem. This causes a new problem,” Jiang Jianguo, minister of China’s State Council Information Office, told a forum in Tokyo attended by representatives of the two countries’ business and political circles.
But Jiang also pointed to the importance of promoting bilateral ties, saying that developing the relationship “matters for the stability and peace of Asia and the world”.
China maintains that its territorial disputes with other claimants over the South China Sea should be resolved bilaterally, not multilaterally, and without the interference of non-claimants such as the United States and Japan.
Japan, which sees the South China Sea as a vital sea lane for its oil imports, has repeatedly voiced concerns about China’s construction of outposts in the waters and use of them for military purposes, deemed as a way to assert its territorial claims and maritime rights.
At the same symposium, former top Chinese diplomat Tang Jiaxuan similarly expressed dissatisfaction with Japan’s stance over the South China Sea issue.