尖閣防衛「日本と共にある」　中国に懸念伝達へ―ブリンケン米国務長官

　ブリンケン米国務長官は１７日、時事通信などとオンラインで会見し、中国の海洋進出などに対し「無責任な行動は容認できない」と明言した。その上で、中国海警局の船舶による領海侵入が日常化している沖縄県・尖閣諸島について「日本と共にある」と、米国の防衛義務に言及した。
　ブリンケン氏は中国は東シナ海や南シナ海で「一段と攻撃的に行動している」とし、台湾をめぐっては「緊張を高めている」と指摘。さらに中国が自国製の新型コロナウイルスワクチンを途上国に供与している問題について、「ワクチンへのアクセスを政治や地政学と結び付けるべきではない」とやんわり批判した。（2021/03/17-17:45）

The United States is "joined" to Japan on their shared concern over the security of the Japanese-administered Senkaku Islands against China, U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken said Wednesday.
   Blinken made the remarks in an online meeting with Japanese media including Jiji Press, a day after he had a "two-plus-two" meeting in Tokyo involving the foreign and defense ministers of Japan and the United States.
   China is acting "more aggressively" in the East China Sea including the Senkaku Islands and in the South China Sea, and "raising tensions" with regard to Taiwan, Blinken said.
   "It's important for us to make clear together that China cannot expect to act with impunity. ... It really matters that countries don't take steps to make the possibility of conflict greater not lesser," Blinken said, reiterating that the Senkaku Islands are covered by Article 5 of the Japan-U.S. security treaty, which stipulates U.S. defense obligations to Japan.
   Waters around the islands in Okinawa Prefecture, southeastern Japan, have seen repeated intrusions by Chinese coast guard ships. Beijing claims the islands, which it calls Diaoyu.