TOKYO—Providing assurance to an ally facing an spiraling territorial dispute with its powerful neighbor, U.S. Vice President Joe Biden strongly condemned China's recent decision to establish a new air defense zone over the contentious waters of the East China Sea Tuesday as he warned that "the prospects of miscalculations and mistakes are too high."
Mr. Biden urged China and Japan to create a crisis management mechanism and open the channels of communications to reduce the risk of unintended conflict.
Mr. Biden urged China and Japan to create a crisis management mechanism and open the channels of communications to reduce the risk of unintended conflict.
He noted he would raise these concerns "in specificity and directly" when he meets Chinese President Xi Jinping and other leaders on Wednesday.
U.S. Vice President Joe Biden (L) speaks while Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe listens during a joint announcement after their talks at the latter's official residence. European Pressphoto Agency
"We in the U.S. are deeply concerned by the attempt to unilaterally change the status quo in the East China Sea," Mr. Biden told reporters in Tokyo, standing next to Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe after their meeting.
"We in the U.S. are deeply concerned by the attempt to unilaterally change the status quo in the East China Sea," Mr. Biden told reporters in Tokyo, standing next to Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe after their meeting.
"This action has raised regional tensions and increased the risk of accidents and miscalculations."
Mr. Biden's comment underscores how quickly efforts to diffuse tensions and avoid unwanted conflict have become the focus of Washington's diplomatic effort in East Asia.
Mr. Biden's comment underscores how quickly efforts to diffuse tensions and avoid unwanted conflict have become the focus of Washington's diplomatic effort in East Asia.
As Mr. Xi consolidates power nine months after taking office, Beijing is pursuing increasingly bold strategies to assert its territorial claims against its smaller neighbors.
That has overshadowed the original goals of Mr. Biden's long-planned trip to emphasize the commitment of the administration of President Barack Obama to rebalance its policy and resources toward Asia and promote trade ties.
Mr. Biden reassured Mr. Abe that the U.S. will remain "steadfast to our alliance commitment" but also pushed the conservative Japanese leader to make greater efforts to get along with the country's neighbors.
"It is also important to see closer cooperation between our allies, Japan and South Korea, and between our allies and China," he said.
Mr. Biden reassured Mr. Abe that the U.S. will remain "steadfast to our alliance commitment" but also pushed the conservative Japanese leader to make greater efforts to get along with the country's neighbors.
"It is also important to see closer cooperation between our allies, Japan and South Korea, and between our allies and China," he said.
"I witnessed first-hand and appreciated greatly the outreach (Mr. Abe) has made to Japan's neighbors. It's not only in Japan's interest but in our interest as well."
The trip will also take Mr. Biden to South Korea, where he is expected to urge President Park Geun-hye, a stubborn critic of Mr. Abe's government, to start a dialogue.
The trip will also take Mr. Biden to South Korea, where he is expected to urge President Park Geun-hye, a stubborn critic of Mr. Abe's government, to start a dialogue.
Relations between Japan and South Korea have been chilled by differences over Japan's wartime behavior, and by a territorial spat—a situation that has irked U.S. officials as they tried to manage China's flexing of its military muscle and North Korean threats to develop nuclear weapons.
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