China Voices Discontent With EU-Japan Position on Disputed Islands
BEIJING (Dispatches) - Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Zhao Lijian said on Friday that a joint EU-Japan statement that mentioned a territorial dispute between China and Japan was an attempt to smear China and interfere in its internal affairs.
The statement, issued following a joint EU-China summit in Tokyo, expressed concern over the situation surrounding the disputed East China Sea islets known as the Senkaku islands in Japan. China also claims the islands, which it calls Diaoyu.
“Japan and the European Union have been speculating on China-related issues at the conference, smearing and discrediting China, interfering in China’s internal affairs and provoking regional confrontation,” Zhao told a regular briefing in Beijing.
“China is firmly opposed to this and has already made solemn representations to the relevant parties.”
European Union leaders also said on Thursday in Tokyo that the EU wanted to become a bigger actor in Asia, which they termed a “theatre of tensions.”
The EU-Japan summit featured European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, European Council President Charles Michel and Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida.
Both European leaders also warned of China’s close relationship with Russia.
Biden Pledges $150mn to ASEAN With Eye on China
U.S. President Joe Biden opened a summit of Southeast Asian leaders with a pledge to spend $150mn on infrastructure, security and the anti-pandemic efforts, as Washington seeks to counter China’s rising influence in the region.
Biden on Thursday kicked off a two-day summit with the 10-nation Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) in Washington with a dinner at the White House ahead of talks at the State Department on Friday, Al-Jazeera reported.
While Russia-Ukraine war was on the agenda, Biden’s administration hopes to demonstrate that Washington remains focused on the Asia-Pacific as Beijing becomes an increasingly powerful player in the region.
China in November pledged $1.5bn in development assistance to the ASEAN countries – Brunei, Indonesia, Cambodia, Singapore, Thailand, Laos, Vietnam, Malaysia and the Philippines – over three years to fight COVID and support economic recovery.
Analysts say ASEAN countries remain cautious about aligning with Washington against Beijing due to their reliance on Chinese trade and investment and relatively limited U.S. economic incentives.