China’s efforts to antagonize Japan over the Diaoyutai islands (Diaoyu to China, Senkaku to Japan) islands dispute has only strengthened ties between Tokyo and Washington, reports the independent citizen journalism website Mingjing News.

Japan is a huge beneficiary of its diplomatic ties with the US, the report said, adding that Washington has continued to provide important assistance to Tokyo at crucial moments over the last five years — all to the detriment of Beijing.

In recent years, China has continued to issue threats against Japan and attempted to create more distance between Washington and Tokyo in an effort to force the US to take a more neutral stance on the disputed islands in the East China Sea, which are claimed by both China and Japan as well as Taiwan.

The dispute reached boiling point in September 2012, when Japan purported to nationalize the island chain through purchases of three of the islands from private owners, sparking nationwide anti-Japan protests across China.

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