Tokyo attempted to divert the theme of a key conference, triggering strong dissatisfaction, Foreign Ministry says

Japan has tried to impose its will on African countries and to sow discord between China and the continent, triggering strong dissatisfaction in Africa, the Chinese Foreign Ministry said on Monday.

"It's a pity that ... Japan tried to impose its will on African countries, seek its own interests and sow discord in China-Africa relations," ministry spokeswoman Hua Chunying said.

She had been asked at a daily media briefing about a statement issued by the Tokyo International Conference on African Development held during the weekend in Nairobi, the Kenyan capital.

"I know that Japan tried its best to focus the summit theme and achievement document on the (United Nations) Security Council reform and maritime security, derailing these from the theme of African development and arousing strong dissatisfaction among African representatives," Hua said.

She said the final statement showed that Japan had to "completely accept" the stance of African countries to limit maritime-related affairs within the scope of African maritime cooperation.

Japan's Kyodo News Agency said Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe used the expression "making it a peaceful and orderly ocean" in his speech at the summit, which was "possibly aimed at containing China".

The Foreign Ministry said earlier that evidence showed that Japan was a behind-the-scenes player in last month's arbitration ruling in a case brought unilaterally by the Philippines over maritime disputes with China. Beijing has rejected the ruling.

The Kyodo report also said, "To counterbalance China, which has veto power as a permanent member of the Security Council, Japan expected to get overwhelming support from countries, including African ones, to achieve reform of the Security Council, but failed to push this forward."

Abe has said that Japan will place additional investment of $30 billion in Africa by 2018.

It was the first time that the conference had been held in Africa, with all five previous ones hosted by Japan.

Koichi Sakamoto, a professor of regional development studies at Toyo University, told Agence France-Presse, "Japan has a sense of rivalry with China, which has provided large amounts of assistance (in Africa)."

He Wenping, a researcher of African studies at the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences, said China is actually happy to see other countries boosting investment and assistance to Africa.

He said the Tokyo International Conference on African Development is now being held every three years, instead of five previously, and it appears to be learning from the Forum on China-Africa Cooperation. "We should be happy and proud," He said.

"However, Japan's move to lead the conference in a direction unrelated to its cooperation with Africa shows that it wrongfully judged the situation and its influence, and lacks understanding of the continent."

lixiaokun@chinadaily.com.cn