Ex-Envoy Says U.S. Stirs China-Japan Tensions
Excerpt:
Mr. Chen accused the United States of encouraging the right wing in Japan, and fanning a rise of militarism.
“The U.S. is urging Japan to play a greater role in the region in
security terms, not just in economic terms,” he said during his speech
at the Foreign Correspondents’ Club in Hong Kong. That “suits the
purpose of the right wing in Japan more than perfectly — their long-held
dream is now possible to be realized.”
The United States has said that, in the event of conflict, the disputed
islands are covered by its mutual defense treaty with Japan, a position
that China has severely criticized since the latest dispute flared last
month.
Mr. Chen described what he called the intervention of the United States
in territorial disputes in the South China Sea — where China has been at
odds with another American ally, the Philippines — as a way for the
United States to expand its influence and restrain the influence of
China.
“Will these countries misjudge and draw China and the United States into
a confrontation?” Mr. Chen asked. “The danger is apparent, and China
needs to be aware of that.”
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