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US President Joe Biden, left, and US Secretary of State Antony Blinken, second left, attend a virtual meeting of the Quad leaders in the State Dining Room of the White House in Washington on March 12, 2021. (AFP/Yonhap News)

Chinese ambassador to Japan Kong Xuanzhou has criticized Japan’s participation in the Quadrilateral Security Dialogue, also known as the Quad, warning Japan not to become embroiled in the conflict between the US and China.

Kyodo News reported Wednesday that Kong had slammed the US-led strategy of “surrounding China” in an interview with the outlet on Tuesday, saying, “Thinking in Cold War terms will 100% lead to [Japan] being left behind.”

“The US-Japan alliance is fanning the flames of regional conflict, and a bilateral alliance must not infringe on the interests of third parties,” he added. “Viewing China as a threat is not good for Japan’s future.”

China and Japan are set to celebrate the 50th anniversary of normalized diplomatic ties next year.

Kong continued with a stinging attack on Japan’s pro-US and anti-China stance since the Biden administration came to power. “Japan will be able to coexist by creating balance in relations with the US and China,” Kong said. “In a situation where US-China relations are rapidly deteriorating, I hope that Japan will be able to break free from pro-US diplomacy and demonstrate strategic independence by strengthening relations with China as well.”

Regarding the Senkaku Islands (known in China as the Diaoyu Islands), over which the two countries are involved in an ongoing territory dispute, Kong said that “China has sovereignty over the Diaoyu Islands, and Japan’s occupation [of them] is illegal.”

However, he added that China wished for a peaceful resolution and would not escalate the situation into an armed clash.

Jung In-hwan, Beijing correspondent

Please direct comments or questions to [english@hani.co.kr]