Chinese diplomat urges Japan to correct mistakes

GENEVA - A senior Chinese diplomat urged Japan on Wednesday to immediately stop all activities that violate China's territorial sovereignty, take concrete actions to correct its mistakes and return to the track of negotiation with China for resolving the dispute over Diaoyu Islands.

"The recent moves of the Japanese government to mislead the international public opinion can in no way change the historical fact that Japan stole the Diaoyu Islands from China," said Liu Zhenmin, permanent representative of China to the United Nations Office at Geneva and Other International Organizations in Switzerland.

Liu made the remarks when delivering a speech at the Geneva Centre for Security Policy (GCSP) to a group of diplomats and defense officials from 24 countries.

He reiterated the Chinese position that Diaoyu Island and its affiliated islands have been an inherent Chinese territory in historical, geographic and legal terms.

He cited historical facts and international documents to prove that the recent actions by the Japanese side have seriously encroached upon China's sovereignty, represent an outright denial of the outcomes of the victory of the world anti-fascist war and pose a grave challenge to the post-war international order and the purposes and principles of the Charter of the United Nations.

On the South China Sea issue, Liu said that all parties concerned in addressing the issue should abide by the spirit of the Declaration on the Conduct of Parties in the South China Sea (DOC) and refrain from taking actions that may complicate or escalate the disputes and undermine regional peace and stability.

On the interaction between China and the United States in East Asia and the Pacific, Liu said that Sino-US cooperation and flourishing of the Asia Pacific go hand in hand and that despite divergences the two countries have become collaborating partners on a wide range of issues.

"As long as both countries work together, keep their heads cool in dealing with disputes, they will be able to find a positive model of interaction in the Asia Pacific, characterized by peaceful co-existence, benign competition, and win-win cooperation," he said.

The GCSP is a renowned Swiss institute of research and training on international security issues.