China has rebuffed a US proposal to act as a mediator between Beijing and Tokyo over disputed islands in the East China Sea, on Tuesday describing the US approach to the issue as “very wrong”.
Ma Zhaoxu, a Chinese foreign ministry spokesman, said the dispute should be handled by Japan and China. He also denounced US statements that the islands, which the Chinese call the Diaoyu and the Japanese the Senkakus, were covered by US defence agreements with Japan.
“The US side has repeatedly claimed that the US- Japan security treaty applies to the Diaoyu islands. This is very wrong. The US side should immediately correct this erroneous position,” Mr Ma said on the ministry’s website.