Washington has sided with Tokyo in the war of words over allegations that Chinese frigates locked their weapons-guiding radar on Japanese targets near the Senkaku Islands in the East China Sea.
The U.S. said Monday it has accepted Japan's explanation and dismissed Beijing's claim that the government fabricated the story to tarnish China's image and intentionally raise the tension over the disputed islets.
"We were briefed by our Japanese allies on the incident and we've satisfied ourselves that it does appear to have happened," Victoria Nuland, spokeswoman for the U.S. State Department, said during her daily briefing Monday in Washington.