The Foreign Ministry insisted Tuesday that some Japanese media used an "inaccurate" translation of recent remarks by President Barack Obama on U.S.-China relations.
"Some media in our country have reported that (the U.S. president said) 'the U.S.-China ties are more important than any other bilateral ties in the world' . . . but that is an inaccurate translation," Foreign Ministry Press Secretary Kazuo Kodama said.
What Obama said during a recent U.S.-China ministerial dialogue was that ties between the two countries are "as important as any bilateral relationship in the world."
Kodama denied he pointed out the mistranslation out of concern Japanese might get the impression Obama believes U.S.-China ties are more important than Washington's relationship with Tokyo.
"It's not something like that at all," he said. "We have contacted the U.S. Embassy in Tokyo, and hope that you media will understand correctly."
Obama said: "The relationship between the United States and China will shape the 21st century, which makes it as important as any bilateral relationship in the world."