The 37-day US-Japan joint drill on Tinian Island in the Northern Mariana Islands in the Pacific Ocean from Aug 21, widely believed to be a rehearsal to take control of the Diaoyu Islands, will only add fuel to the fire raging between Tokyo and Beijing.

Though the Japanese embassy in China denied such speculation, the news that the United States and Japan have again insisted that the US-Japan Mutual Security Treaty covers the Diaoyu Islands exposes the drill's real intention. But they should know that China, like any other country, will not shy away from protecting its territories.

Washington's tactics of supporting Tokyo in the dispute will fan passions in Japan and China both and escalate the prevailing tension, which will only hurt US interests in the end.