(VOVworld) – Visiting US Defense Secretary James Mattis on Friday reaffirmed Washington's commitment to its mutual defense treaty with Tokyo at a meeting with Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe.

US Defense Secretary Jim Mattis (L) and Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe (R) (Source: Reuters)

Prime Minister Abe, who is due to meet US President Donald Trump in Washington next week, said he believes Japan and the new US administration can prove their firm alliance to the world.

The same day, China called on the US to avoid discussion on sovereignty over the tiny uninhabited islands, known in Japanese as the Senkaku and Chinese as Diaoyu. Japanese media reported that US Defense Secretary James Mattis said Article 5 of the mutual security treaty with Japan applied to the contested islands. Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Lu Kang urged the US to take a responsible attitude, stop making wrong remarks on the issue involving the Diaoyu/Senkaku islands' sovereignty, and avoid making the issue more complicated and bringing instability to the regional situation.