Japan, US urged to act prudently in revising defense guidelines

BEIJING - China urged Japan and the United States to act prudently in revising their mutual defense guidelines on Thursday, advising they play a constructive role in maintaining regional peace and stability.

Foreign Ministry spokesman Hong Lei made the comment after media reports suggested Japan and the US targeted China's Diaoyu Islands in an interim report on the revision of the guidelines.

He reiterated the Diaoyu Islands and its affiliated islands are part of China's inherent territory. "Foreign pressure will not shake China's determination to safeguard national sovereignty and territorial integrity".

The Japan-US alliance is a bilateral arrangement made under special historical conditions. It should not go beyond its bilateral scope or undermine third parties' interests, including China's, Hong said.

China will closely follow the revision of the Japan-US defense cooperation guidelines, he said.

China-Japan relations have soured since the Japanese government's "purchase" of the Diaoyu Islands in September 2012.