Expressing concern over the flight of a Chinese Government airplane near the Senkaku Island, the United States has asked China to avoid taking actions that raise tensions in the region.
“We are concerned by the flight of a Chinese Government airplane near the Senkakus. It’s important to avoid actions that raise tensions and to prevent miscalculations that could undermine peace, security and economic growth in the region,” State Department spokesperson Patrick Ventrell told reporters at a news conference yesterday.
“We’ve raised our concerns with the Chinese Government directly and made clear that US policy and commitments regarding the Senkaku Islands are long-standing and have not changed,” he said in response to a question.
The United States, Ventrell said, is also in talks with Japan in this regard. “We think it’s important to avoid any actions that raise tensions,” he said.
Responding to a question, Ventrell said the Asia-Pacific region is big enough to accommodate all the rising countries including China.
“I wouldn’t speculate on Chinese actions, but clearly, we’ve been clear about why we’re pivoting towards Asia and the actions that were taken and the important alliances we have there and the important work that we do with our partners across the region,” he said.