Beijing Criticizes U.S. Stance on Islands

The Chinese government responded sharply to comments by U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton over islands at the center of a dispute between China and Japan, amid growing concern in Washington about the risk of conflict.

After meeting Japan's new Foreign Minister Fumio Kishida on Friday, Mrs. Clinton repeated previous statements that the U.S. takes no position on the sovereignty of the uninhabited islands, known in China as the Diaoyu and in Japan as the Senkaku, although Washington acknowledges that they are under Japan's administration.

However, she went a step further, adding that "we oppose any unilateral action that would seek to undermine Japanese administration." She also called on both Beijing and Tokyo "to take steps to prevent incidents and manage disagreement through peaceful means."

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