Beijing says Diaoyu islands are Chinese territory, rebuts US criticism

Beijing has said the Diaoyu islands are Chinese territory and it has the right to conduct law enforcement activities in the area. With this, China has rebutted a US military commander's criticism of incursions in territory which is also claimed by Japan.

Japan earlier this month accused China of "relentless" intrusions in waters around the groups of islands claimed by both countries in the East China Sea, called the Senkaku by Tokyo and Diaoyu by Beijing.

Chinese foreign ministry spokesman Wang Wenbin told reporters during a daily briefing that Beijing hopes the relevant parties will do more to uphold stability in the region instead of taking actions that are not conducive to peace and stability in the region.

General Kevin Schneider, commander of US Forces Japan, had earlier said that the US military could help monitor "unprecedented incursions" by Chinese ships around islands in the East China Sea controlled by Japan and also claimed by China that could escalate next month after Beijing lifts a fishing ban in the area.

The United States did not take a position on sovereignty over the uninhabited islands, known as the Senkaku in Japan and the Diaoyu in China, but had said that it would help its ally Japan defend against any attack.