China warned yesterday that increasing US-Japan military cooperation should be strictly bilateral and not encompass Beijing's arch-rival Taiwan. Foreign Minister Li Zhaoxing (§õ»F¬P) said Beijing sought better ties with both Washington and Tokyo -- China's two major trading partners -- but he refused to back down from territorial disputes that have recently become increasingly bitter. "Any part of putting Taiwan directly or indirectly into the scope of Japan-US security cooperation constitutes an encroachment on China's sovereignty and interference in China's internal affairs," Li said. "The Chinese government and people are firmly against such activities." During a wide-ranging press conference on...
