Veteran diplomat and political advisor Cheng Yonghua, 62, made the comments when asked about Japan's recent high-profile stance on maritime issues and its calling for joint sea patrols.
"Japan is unilaterally standing against China on a basis of partiality, and it addresses any country having disputes with China as its 'pal' or 'brother' in an attempt to encircle China. This is utterly wrong from the outset," Cheng said.
Some observers have attributed Japan's stance to the ongoing US pivot to Asia strategy. Cheng responded that "Japan is not even a contracting party in the relevant disputes".
"Freedom of navigation is also a false issue, and what the US is doing in the sea is leading the situation to one of further tension. Both Tokyo and Washington should clearly bear in mind the status quo and not produce tension," he said.
"Japan has turned a blind eye" to a slew of key historical facts, he said, including China retaking islands illegally occupied by Japan during World War II, and countries such as the Philippines illegally occupying some islands and boosting military buildup on them since the 1970s.
China Daily -china.org.cn
10/3/16
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China expressed alarm on Thursday about an agreement in which the Philippines will lease five aircraft from Japan to help patrol the disputed South China Sea....
ReplyDeletePhilippine President Benigno Aquino said the five TC-90 training aircraft would help the navy in patrolling what the Philippines views as its territory.
The Philippines has made the modernization of its air and naval forces a priority as China deploys missiles and fighters on a number of artificial islands in the South China Sea.
China claims almost the entire South China Sea, where about $5 trillion worth of ship-borne trade passes annually. Brunei, Malaysia, the Philippines, Taiwan and Vietnam also have claims to parts of the sea.
"If the Philippines' actions are to challenge China's sovereignty and security interests, China is resolutely opposed," Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Hong Lei told a daily news briefing.....reuters.com