China warned the US on Saturday against destabilizing East Asia after its new Defense Secretary James Mattis said Washington would rush to defend Japan in case of a conflict with Beijing.

The remarks by China’s Foreign Ministry spokesman Lu Kang came after Mattis stated during a two-day official tour of Japan that Senkaku islands fell within the scope of the US-Japan security treaty.

Under the treaty, Washington is obligated to defend all areas under Japanese administrative control, hence making Senkaku which China calls Diaoyu a bone of contention.

“The Diaoyu Island and its adjacent islets have been an inherent part of Chinese territory since ancient times, which is a unchangeable historical fact,” state news agency Xinhua quoted Lu as saying.

“We urge the US side to take a responsible attitude, stop making wrong remarks… and avoid making the issue more complicated and bringing instability to the regional situation,” he added.

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