TOKYO: China warned the US on Saturday that it was risking instability in Asia after President Donald Trump’s new defence secretary vowed to back Japan in any military clash with Beijing over a disputed island chain.
The Senkaku Islands, known in China as the Diaoyus, are at the centre of a festering row between Tokyo and Beijing, which claims they have been part of Chinese territory for centuries.
Wrapping up a visit to the region Saturday, US Defence Secretary James Mattis said in Tokyo the islands were subject to a decades-old treaty between Washington and Tokyo.
“I made clear that our long-standing policy on the Senkaku Islands stands –- the US will continue to recognise Japanese administration of the islands,” Mattis told a press conference.
“And as such Article 5 of the US-Japan Security Treaty applies.”
Article 5 commits the United States to defend Japan or territories it administers against any attack.
China, which is also involved in a widening dispute with several South-east Asian countries over islands in the South China Sea, accused Washington of stirring up trouble.
“We urge the US side to take a responsible attitude, stop making wrong remarks… and avoid making the issue more complicated and bringing instability to the regional situation”, Foreign Ministry spokesman Lu Kang said, according to official news agency Xinhua.
Lu added the US-Japan treaty was a product of the Cold War, and should not affect China’s territorial sovereignty, Xinhua reported.
Mattis arrived in Japan on Friday from South Korea. His visit to the region, the first overseas trip by a senior official from the Trump administration, was aimed at reassuring Washington’s key East Asian allies about America’s commitment to their security.
Concerns arose during the presidential campaign when Trump accused Tokyo and Seoul of not paying their fair share to US troops stationed in their countries, sparking concerns about the future of their security alliances with Washington.