BEIJING, July 18 (Xinhua) -- Efforts by Japan and the Philippines to raise tensions related to their ongoing maritime disputes with China are a waste of time and will never yield results.
Following island disputes which have increased tensions between China and its two maritime neighbors, China has faced provocations by the Philippines and Japan in recent days.
Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe on Wednesday spoke to officers with the Ishigaki Coast Guard Office, claiming that the Diaoyu Islands are "an inherent part of Japan's territory" and that Japan "will not recede" regarding the issue.
Abe's visit came after the Philippine Foreign Ministry issued an eight-point statement on Monday, saying that China's position has made it impossible to continue negotiations regarding maritime disputes in the South China Sea and has also led the Philippines to resort to international arbitration.
The Diaoyu Islands in the East China Sea, as well as Huangyan Island in the South China Sea, are both part of China's territory and have been since ancient times. Due to historical reasons, however, some of China's neighbors have argued with China over who owns the islands.
In an effort to co-exist with its neighbors, China's government tends to shelve such disputes so they can be resolved at a later date. However, it is not possible for China to make a concession faced with provocative words and acts. China will spare no effort to safeguard its core interests.
Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Hua Chunying said that Japan should face reality, cease any action that infringes on China's territorial integrity and make efforts to properly resolve the dispute through negotiations.
Gao Hong, a Japan expert with the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences, said Abe's visit was a political move ahead of an upcoming election.
As for the Philippines, Hua said last week that the Philippines' claim of having exhausted almost all political and diplomatic avenues for the peaceful settlement of its dispute with China is not true, adding that the country's illegal occupation of part of the Nansha Islands is the source of their dispute.
Bilateral issues should be solved exclusively between the countries involved. International arbitration will only make the disputes more complicated.
China's government has long preferred to resolve disputes through negotiation and believes that all sides involved should shelve their disputes and work for common development.
Japan must stop taking provocative action and the Philippines must return to the negotiation table before ties can be repaired.
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