New Delhi: Anguished over Japan's support for the Indian position that China had unilaterally sought to alter the status quo in Doklam, Beijing has asked Tokyo "not to make random comments before clarifying relevant facts".

"I have seen the Japanese ambassador in India really wants to support India. I want to remind him not to randomly make comments before clarifying relevant facts," China's foreign ministry spokesperson Hua Chunying. 

 

She sought to counter Hiramatsu. "In the Donglang (Doklam) area, there is no territorial dispute. And the boundary has been delimited and recognised by the two sides," Hua said, reiterating China's standard position since the standoff came to light. "The attempt to change the status quo by trespass in the boundary is by India, not China," the spokesperson added.

 

Japan's ambassador to India Kenji Hiramatsu had said that the region under scrutiny was disputed, and supported the view that no unilateral steps should be taken to change the ground situation.

 

This was in sync with India's argument that the road building activity attempted by China in Doklam was unilateral, violative of Bhutanese sovereignty, and adversely affected India's security concerns. It also violated the agreement reached between Indian and Chinese special representatives. 

 

China's relationship with Japan has been rocky, perhaps even more so than with India. Chinese President Xi Jinping and Japanese PM Shinzo Abe's meetings have been marked by icy awkwardness and their uncomfortable handshake at an Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation meeting in 2014 made headlines the world over. The ties dipped sharply after a collision between a Chinese fishing trawler and two Japanese coast guard patrols near the disputed islands of Senkaku.