Japanese FM Condemns Chinese Counterpart's Words Days After Meeting

Only three days after a meeting between Japanese Foreign Minister Toshimitsu Motegi and his Chinese counterpart Wang Yi in Tokyo, Motegi has condemned comments from Wang in relation to the disputed Senkaku/Diaoyu islands in the South China Sea.

• SCMP reports Japanese lawmakers criticising Motegi for not reacting to comments from Wang at a joint press conference, where the Chinese foreign minister said Beijing would "safeguard China's sovereignty" over the islands and that they would respond if "unknown Japanese fishing vessels entered the waters of the Diaoyu Islands".
• Motegi said he could not respond immediately given the format of the press conference, given that each minister only had one opportunity to speak, and that he had already spoken.
• Speaking to a parliamentary committee on Friday, though Motegi said that "The Senkaku Islands are without doubt our country's inherent territory historically and under international law," and called Wang's comments "completely unacceptable".
• The immediate rebuke comes as little surprise. While both sides espoused positive comments about the other following the meeting, there remains no give from either side on the territorial dispute, the very mention of which usually sets both sides back to square one in terms of bilateral relations.