Prime Minister Shinzo Abe on Sunday criticized China for what he termed its bid to change the status quo by force in terms of its relations with Japan and other Asian nations.
Such an approach is wrong, Abe said on a television program, referring to the ongoing tensions being generated by the Senkakus dispute and other maritime rifts involving China in the region.
Japan and China have indivisible relations, and the two countries must solve problems through dialogue, Abe said, pressuring Beijing to ease its conditions for holding a bilateral summit.
China is said to be demanding that Tokyo acknowledge the existence of a bilateral territorial dispute and shelve the issue involving the Senkaku Islands, which are claimed by China as Diaoyu and by Taiwan as Tiaoyutai. Japan maintains no dispute exists as the islets are legally and historically part of Japan.
It is wrong as a diplomatic stance to reject holding a summit meeting because conditions are not met, Abe said. He said he is urging China and other nations to respect the rule of law in solving any maritime dispute.
His remarks came after the recent revelation that a large Chinese crane ship is building a drilling facility in the ocean at a point near the Japan-claimed border between the two countries exclusive economic zones.
On Sunday, the Japan Coast Guard said three Chinese maritime surveillance vessels entered Japanese territorial waters in the morning near the Senkakus.
The Haijian No. 23, Haijian No. 49 and Haijian No. 5001 were spotted cruising near the Japan-controlled islets at around 9:30 a.m., the 11th Regional Coast Guard Headquarters in Naha, Okinawa Prefecture, said.
The coast guard warned the Chinese ships not to enter Japanese territorial waters, but the Haijian No. 5001 responded both in Chinese and Japanese that it was conducting a regular patrol under Chinese law, the coast guard said.
Read more: Abe accuses Chinese of 'using force' | The Japan Times
Such an approach is wrong, Abe said on a television program, referring to the ongoing tensions being generated by the Senkakus dispute and other maritime rifts involving China in the region.
Japan and China have indivisible relations, and the two countries must solve problems through dialogue, Abe said, pressuring Beijing to ease its conditions for holding a bilateral summit.
China is said to be demanding that Tokyo acknowledge the existence of a bilateral territorial dispute and shelve the issue involving the Senkaku Islands, which are claimed by China as Diaoyu and by Taiwan as Tiaoyutai. Japan maintains no dispute exists as the islets are legally and historically part of Japan.
It is wrong as a diplomatic stance to reject holding a summit meeting because conditions are not met, Abe said. He said he is urging China and other nations to respect the rule of law in solving any maritime dispute.
His remarks came after the recent revelation that a large Chinese crane ship is building a drilling facility in the ocean at a point near the Japan-claimed border between the two countries exclusive economic zones.
On Sunday, the Japan Coast Guard said three Chinese maritime surveillance vessels entered Japanese territorial waters in the morning near the Senkakus.
The Haijian No. 23, Haijian No. 49 and Haijian No. 5001 were spotted cruising near the Japan-controlled islets at around 9:30 a.m., the 11th Regional Coast Guard Headquarters in Naha, Okinawa Prefecture, said.
The coast guard warned the Chinese ships not to enter Japanese territorial waters, but the Haijian No. 5001 responded both in Chinese and Japanese that it was conducting a regular patrol under Chinese law, the coast guard said.
Read more: Abe accuses Chinese of 'using force' | The Japan Times
