Japan urged to be cautious with China-India territorial disputes

China called on Japan to "speak and act cautiously on China-India territory disputes", Foreign Ministry spokesman Hong Lei said on Monday.

Japanese Foreign Minister Fumio Kishida over the weekend said that Japan was ready to invest in infrastructure projects in India's landlocked northeast. He said that the projects would not be in the state of Arunachal Pradesh, but Japan did refer to it as Indian territory.

China has lodged serious representations over such remarks and demanded Japan clarify its stance to mitigate any negative effects, Hong said at a daily news briefing.

"Japan has made a clear public statement that it takes no position on, and will not get involved in, territorial disputes between China and India," Hong said.

China's stance on the disputed area on the eastern part of the China-India border is consistent and clear, he said.

China and India are seeking a fair, just and mutually acceptable solution on the border issue through a special representative mechanism established in 2003.

"We hope Japan can fully understand the sensitivity of China-India border issues and respect the efforts that both sides have taken to resolve the disputes through negotiations," the spokesman added.

Arunachal Pradesh, which includes three areas in Tibet Autonomous Region -- Monyul, Loyul and Lower Tsayul, is currently under Indian illegal occupation.

The Chinese government's stance on these areas, located between the illegal "Mcmahon Line" and the traditional customary boundary between China and India, is that they have always been Chinese territory. Endi