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Beijing claims 90 per cent of the South China Sea, a maritime region believed to hold a wealth of untapped oil and gas reserves [Xinhua]
“The Diaoyu Island and its adjacent islets have been an inherent part of Chinese territory since ancient times, which is a unchangeable historical fact,” Foreign Ministry spokesman Lu Kang said.
On Friday, Mattis told journalists during his visit to Tokyo, to meet with defense officials there that a treaty between the two countries also covered the islands. In Japan, the islands are called Senkaku.
He said that defense of the islands fell within Article 5 of the US-Japan defense pact.
“We urge the US side to take a responsible attitude, stop making wrong remarks on the issue involving the Diaoyu Islands sovereignty, and avoid making the issue more complicated and bringing instability to the regional situation,” said the spokesman.
This is the most serious reaction to what has been two months of a war of words between Beijing and members of the then President-elect Donald Trump’s associates.
Beijing claims 90 per cent of the South China Sea, a maritime region believed to hold a wealth of untapped oil and gas reserves and through which roughly $4.5 trillion of ship-borne trade passes every year. In addition to Philippines, Vietnam, Malaysia, Brunei and Taiwan have contesting claims on these waters.
Russia has backed Beijing’s position that direct talks should take place between the affected parties and the region should guard against “external interference“.
Read more: China: ‘Third parties’ complicate South China issues
Beijing, Moscow begin South China Sea drills
Duterte’s China visit a ‘turning point’
The BRICS Post with inputs from Agencies
