TOKYO (Reuters) – The United States cautioned China and Japan against escalating a row over a group of islands that both nations claim, warning that tensions between the world’s second and third-biggest economies would have global repercussions.
Yesterday, Japan brushed off stern warnings by China and said it had bought the islands from a private Japanese owner. China rained warnings on Japan and official media said Beijing had sent two patrol ships to reassert its claim.
“This is the cockpit of the global economy and the stakes could not be bigger and the desire is to have all leaders to keep that squarely in mind,” US Assistant Secretary of State Kurt Campbell said in Washington.
“We think in the current environment we want cooler heads to prevail, frankly,” Campbell said while answering questions at a debate held by the Centre for Strategic and International Studies.
“We have enormous stakes in the maintenance of peace and stability. We believe that peaceful dialogue and the maintenance of peace and stability is of utmost importance always but particularly now in this set of circumstances.”
Although a close ally of Japan, Washington has said it will not take sides in the territorial dispute.
The Chinese military’s top newspaper accused Japan of “playing with fire”, and the Ministry of Defence warned that more, unspecified steps could follow.
“The Chinese military expresses its staunch opposition and strong protest over this,” Defence Ministry spokesman Geng Yansheng said in remarks posted on the ministry‘s website (www.mod.gv.cn).
“The Chinese government and military are unwavering in their determination and will to defend national territorial sovereignty. We are closely following developments, and reserve the power to adopt corresponding measures.”
Tokyo insisted it had only peaceful intentions in making the 2.05 billion yen ($26.18 million) purchase of three uninhabited islands in the East China Sea, until now leased by the government from a Japanese family that has owned them since early 1970s.
Foreign Minister Koichiro Gemba repeated Japan’s line that the purchase served “peaceful and stable maintenance of the islands”.
