China rejects Obama's statement on islets disputed with Japan

BEIJING (Reuters) - A chain of islets disputed by China and Japan belong to China regardless of what anyone says, China said on Thursday, in response to a remark by U.S. President Barack Obama that a security treaty between the U.S. and Japan covers the islands. Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Qin Gang made the remarks at a daily press briefing on Thursday. Obama said he had not drawn any new "red line" over the islands, adding that maritime disputes must be resolved peacefully. The group of tiny East China Sea islets, known in Japan as the Senkaku and in China as the Diaoyu, have long strained ties between Beijing and Tokyo. (Reporting By Ben Blanchard; Writing by Megha Rajagopalan; Editing by Alex Richardson)