China cautions Japan ahead of US-Japan summit
China's foreign minister has cautioned Japan against teaming up with the U.S. to counter China
Your support helps us to tell the story
From reproductive rights to climate change to Big Tech, The Independent is on the ground when the story is developing. Whether it's investigating the financials of Elon Musk's pro-Trump PAC or producing our latest documentary, 'The A Word', which shines a light on the American women fighting for reproductive rights, we know how important it is to parse out the facts from the messaging.
At such a critical moment in US history, we need reporters on the ground. Your donation allows us to keep sending journalists to speak to both sides of the story.
The Independent is trusted by Americans across the entire political spectrum. And unlike many other quality news outlets, we choose not to lock Americans out of our reporting and analysis with paywalls. We believe quality journalism should be available to everyone, paid for by those who can afford it.
Your support makes all the difference.China’s foreign minister has cautioned Japan against teaming up with the U.S. to counter China ahead of a U.S.-Japan summit next week.
Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi told his Japanese counterpart in a phone call Monday evening that their two countries should ensure that bilateral relations “do not get involved in the so-called confrontation between major countries,” a Chinese Foreign Ministry statement said.
It quoted Wang as saying that “China hopes that Japan, as an independent country, will look at China’s development in an objective and rational way, instead of being misled by some countries holding biased view against China.”
Japan, a close U.S. ally that hosts major American naval and air force bases, shares U.S. concerns about China's military buildup and claims to territory in the South and East China Seas. However its major trade and investment interests in China have at times reined in its criticism of its larger neighbor.
Japanese Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga travels to Washington to meet President Joe Biden on April 16 in what will be the U.S. leader’s first in-person summit since taking office in January.
Biden, in contrast to his predecessor Donald Trump has stressed rebuilding ties with European and Asian allies as the U.S. prepares for competition with a rising China.
Japanese Foreign Minister Toshimitsu Motegi raised human rights in China's Xinjiang region and Hong Kong, both important issues for Biden. He also reiterated Japan's protest against China's presence in waters around a group of uninhabited, Japan-controlled islands that China claims in the East China Sea.
Wang opposed Japan’s interference in China’s internal affairs in Xinjiang and Hong Kong, the Chinese statement said.
Taiwan is another potential flashpoint, with Suga saying earlier this week that Japan would cooperate with the U.S. on the issue. China regards the self-governing island as a runaway province that should be under Chinese rule.
China, in a signal to the U.S. and its allies. recently sent an aircraft carrier group to waters near Taiwan for training exercises.
Subscribe to Independent Premium to bookmark this article
Want to bookmark your favourite articles and stories to read or reference later? Start your Independent Premium subscription today.