ISTANBUL 

China on Monday called on Japan and South Korea to “resist resurgence of Cold War mentality,” urging the two East Asian neighbors to maintain cooperation and avoid being swayed by outside influences.

“China, Japan, South Korea and all Asian countries should practice open regionalism, promote inclusive Asian values, develop a sense of strategic independence, ensure regional unity and stability, resist the resurgence of the Cold War mentality, and avoid the imposition of hegemony,” Wang Yi, China’s foreign affairs chief, said at a trilateral forum in China’s eastern port city of Qingdao.

In a thinly veiled swipe at the US, Wang said: “For geopolitical reasons, a certain major power outside the region has deliberately exaggerated our ideological differences, organized all kinds of cliques for the purpose of excluding others, tried to replace cooperation with confrontation, and unity with division," transcript of his speech released by China's foreign ministry read.

(Credit: China's Foreign Ministry)

During his conversation with the guests attending the forum, Wang said: "Europeans and Americans can't distinguish between Chinese, Japanese and South Koreans."

"No matter how yellow our hair is dyed or how sharp we change our nose, we can't become Westerners. We should know where our roots are," Wang told the main group of guests, according to Chinese daily Global Times.

“If this trend is allowed to develop, it will not only seriously interfere with the smooth progress of cooperation between the three countries, but will continue to increase tension and conflict in the regional situation,” he warned.

Japan and South Korea have developed close relations with the US, as Washington competes with Beijing for influence in East Asia.