BEIJING, China: Beijing has voiced its displeasure to Tokyo regarding negative comments about China made during a meeting between Japan and the United States, according to China’s foreign ministry on July 31.
Liu Jinsong, the director-general of Asian affairs at the foreign ministry, lodged a complaint to Japan over remarks by the US and Japan about China’s “provocative” behavior in the South and East China Seas, joint military exercises with Russia, and the rapid expansion of China’s nuclear weapons arsenal.
Liu told Yokochi Akira, the chief minister, at the Japanese embassy in China on July 30, “China urges Japan to establish an objective and rational understanding of China, and stop making irresponsible remarks about China’s internal affairs.” Liu pointed out “many fallacies, dangerous trends, and false narratives” in the meeting materials from the most recent diplomatic talks.
On July 28, during security discussions, the US and Japan labelled China the “greatest strategic challenge facing the region.” Further remarks about China emerged in separate discussions and a joint statement by foreign ministers from Australia, India, Japan, and the US, expressing concerns about China’s actions in the South China Sea. Liu criticized Japan’s comments as contradictory to its statements on promoting a mutually beneficial relationship between the two countries.
