Beijing, Sep 30 (IANS) The US was not seeking to mediate in the dispute between China and Japan over the Diaoyu Islands but will continue to encourage the two countries to resolve the matter through diplomacy, a top US official said.
The US has a strong interest in seeing the territorial dispute handled through dialogue, and any military action in search of a solution would be “unwise”, Kurt Campbell, assistant secretary of state for East Asian and Pacific affairs, was quoted as saying by the China Daily.
“We are trying to send an overarching message that it is strongly in the interest of all countries, including the US, that territorial matters be handled carefully,” he said.
“And that we very much want cooler heads to prevail in the current environment, and that we are seeking to support quiet, effective diplomacy,” Campbell added.
Since April, the China-Japan relationship has been strained by the row over the islands in the East China Sea.
Tokyo mayor Shintaro Ishihara recently announced plans on behalf of the city government to “purchase” the islands from a “private owner”.
The disputed islands, also claimed by Taiwan, lie on a vital shipping route and are surrounded by large hydrocarbon deposits beneath them.
China claims the islands’ discovery and control since the 14th century, while Japan says it has controlled the islands since 1895 until its surrender at the end of World War II.
The islands were controlled by the US from 1945 to 1972 and subsequently returned to Japan’s control.
Tokyo says its rivals only became vocal over the issue in the 1970s upon the discovery of valuable minerals.
