China says Diaoyu islands are Chinese territory, rebuts U.S. criticism

On Wednesday, China said the Diaoyu islands are Chinese territory and it has the right to conduct law enforcement activities in the area, rebutting a U.S. military commander’s criticism of incursions in territory which is also claimed by Japan.

Chinese foreign ministry spokesman Wang Wenbin, asked about the U.S. commander’s remarks, told reporters during a daily briefing that Beijing hopes the relevant parties will do more to uphold stability in the region instead of taking actions that are not conducive to peace and stability in the region.