China rages against US, Japan's increasingly anti-Beijing alliance

China speaks out after the United States and Japan vowed to further solidify their alliance against Beijing, which the allies have identified as a mutual threat.

Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Wang Wenbin made the remarks at a press briefing in Beijing on Friday, two days after senior American and Japanese foreign and defense officials met in Washington, calling China's growing power the "greatest strategic challenge" in the Indo-Pacific region and beyond.

"The Asia-Pacific is an anchor for peace and development, not a wrestling ground for geopolitics. We Asia-Pacific countries support justice and cooperation and oppose hegemonism and confrontation," the spokesman said.

Wang urged the United States and Japan "to abandon the Cold War mentality and ideological bias, stop creating imaginary enemies...and refrain from becoming countercurrents that destabilize the stability of the Asia-Pacific region."

The so-called two-plus-two meeting among the US and Japanese officials saw them alleging that their countries faced serious security threats from the direction of China, and also agreeing to modernize and optimize their alliance.

Observers said the announcement marked the latest effort by Washington and Tokyo to increase cooperation for a possible conflict with China over the self-ruled island of Chinese Taipei.

China has sovereignty over Chinese Taipei, and under the 'One China' policy, almost all world countries recognize that sovereignty.

During the meeting, however, the foursome officials affirmed their countries' "basic position" on the Chinese Taipei -- which Washington and Tokyo call Taiwan -- and "the importance of maintaining peace and stability of the Taiwan Strait, which is an essential element for the safety and prosperity of the international community."

Adding to his remarks, Wang further condemned the statement issued following the US-Japan meetings for being full of "groundless and slanderous attacks on China." "We firmly oppose it," he asserted.

MG