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  • The U.S. is finally weighing in on a major island dispute between China and Japan. And,

  • unsurprisingly, America is siding with its longtime ally. (Via The White House)

  • Beginning his week-long tour of Asia in Japan, President Barack Obama wrote in a statement:

  • "The policy of the United States is clearthe Senkaku Islands are administered by

  • Japan. ... And we oppose any unilateral attempts to undermine Japan's administration of these

  • islands." (Via The White House / Pete Souza)

  • This comment came Wednesday in response to questions from the Japanese newspaper, Yomiuri

  • Shimbun. Obama specifically said the islands fall within a U.S.-Japan treaty signed after

  • World War II.

  • And that "attempts to undermine" Japan statement is no doubt a reference to China's claim to

  • the islands. They're known in Japan as the Senkaku islandsin China as the Diaoyu.

  • (Via NTDTV)

  • Although the disagreement over who owns them has gone on for years, tensions have just

  • recently reached a high point. Citizens of both nations have protested over the issue.

  • (Via CNN, RT)

  • And, predictably, China's government is none too pleased with Obama's decision to throw

  • his weight behind Japan.

  • A commentary on the state-run Xinhua news agency said the president's statement "smacks

  • of a carefully calculated scheme to cage the rapidly developing Asian giant" — meaning

  • China.

  • Japan's not the only nation locked in a territory dispute with China. Vietnam, Malaysia, Taiwan

  • and the Philippines all say China has just recently begun exerting control over islands

  • that belong to them. Basically, the South China Sea is a mess.

The U.S. is finally weighing in on a major island dispute between China and Japan. And,

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