Chinese envoy rebusts US position over Diaoyu Islands

A Chinese envoy has rebutted U.S. Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel's assertion on the dispute between Japan and China over the Diaoyu Islands.

Hagel said on Monday that the U.S. "opposes any unilateral or coercive action that seeks to undermine Japan's administrative control" while meeting his Japanese counterpart. But Chinese Ambassador to the United States, Cui Tiankai, said that it is Japan, not China, that has created the tension and has been taking "unilateral or coercive actions".

Cui Tiankai said, "I think the Japanese conduct is against the general and common wish of the international community, and is not the true wish of the Japanese people I've known. Eventually, the actions taken by some Japanese politicians will contradict the long-term interests of Japan. So, they take these actions like lifting a rock, only to drop it on their own feet. We hope other countries do not help Japan lift the rock, and more importantly, not let it hit their feet. We hope they do not eye the temporary and immediate interests that would only cause long-term damage."

Cui also criticized the recent visit to the Yasukuni Shrine by Japanese political leaders. Cui said those actions not only run counter to the common wishes and interests of the international community, but also damage the long-term interests of Japan itself.

Cui also expressed the hope that Washington will avoid repeating the same mistake by sacrificing its long-term benefits for immediate short-term needs on the issue of the Diaoyu Islands.