China warns U.S. to stay out of territorial dispute with Japan over South China Sea It also urged Australia and Japan not to use alliance as excuse to intervene Raised maritime disputes during trilateral strategic dialogue in Bali Row over tiny, uninhabited islands in East China Sea The islands are known as Senkaku in Japan and the Diaoyu in China China has warned the U.S. to stay out of territorial dispute with Japan over South China Sea. It also urged Australia and Japan not to use their alliance as an excuse to intervene, telling them to refrain from inflaming regional tensions. On Friday, Australian Foreign Minister Julie Bishop, Japanese Foreign Minister Fumio Kishida and U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry raised the maritime disputes during a trilateral strategic dialogue in Bali, Indonesia. Warning: US Secretary of State John Kerry speaks to journalists in Bali. China has warned the U.S. to stay out of territorial dispute with Japan over South China Sea The summit convened for an annual economic summit in the shadow of global growth clouds that are darkening by the day as the United States struggles to shake off policy paralysis Relations between China and Japan, the world's second- and third-largest economies, have been troubled in recent years by a row over tiny, uninhabited islands in the East China Sea known as the Senkaku in Japan and the Diaoyu in China. In the South China Sea, Vietnam, the Philippines, Taiwan, Malaysia, Brunei and China are involved in long-standing sovereignty disputes over the potentially oil- and gas-rich island chain. A joint statement from the U.S.-Japan-Australia meeting opposed 'coercive or unilateral actions' that could change the status quo in the East China Sea and called on claimants to maritime disputes in the South China Sea to refrain from destabilising actions, according to the State Department website. Discussions: Japan's Prime Minister Shinzo Abe (right) and delegation with Vietnam's President Truong Tan Sang (left) and delegation during their bi-lateral Strained: Relations between China and Japan, the world's second- and third-largest economies, have been troubled in recent years by a row over tiny, uninhabited islands in the East China Sea 'The United States, Japan and Australia are allies but this should not become an excuse to interfere in territorial disputes, otherwise it will only make the problems more complicated and harm the interests of all parties,' Chinese Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Hua Chunying said on Monday. 'We urge the relevant countries to respect facts, distinguish right from wrong, be cautious, and stop all words and deeds that are not beneficial to the proper handling of the issue and undermine regional stability,' she said in comments on the ministry website. The U.S.-Japan-Australia meeting took place on the sidelines of an annual Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) meeting on the Indonesian island of Bali. Rocky relations: The Senkaku islands on the East China Sea which Japan, China and Taiwan all claim ownership of Issue: Australian Foreign Minister Julie Bishop, Japanese Foreign Minister Fumio Kishida and U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry raised the maritime disputes during a trilateral strategic dialogue in Bali, Indonesia John Kerry (right) puts his hand on the arm of Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov (left) during their media briefing Relations: John Kerry shakes hand with Mexican Foreign Minister Jose Antonio Meade Kuribrena at the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) summit John Kerry speaks with Sergey Lavrov in the courtyard of a hotel in front of a Balinese stone statue Separately, another Chinese foreign ministry spokesman, Qin Gang, voiced China's opposition to Kishida's raising of maritime security at an informal breakfast meeting with foreign ministers, saying that it has long been considered inappropriate to discuss issues of political security or sensitive and controversial topics at APEC. 'There has not been a problem with freedom and security of navigation in this region for a long time,' Qin said in another statement released late on Sunday. Playing up so-called maritime security issue goes against real efforts for the freedom and security of navigation. Vincent Siew (left), Taiwan's former vice president, Philippine President Benigno Aquino (centre) and Peru President Ollanta Humala (right) take part in the ABAC Dialogue with Leaders Mexico's President Enrique Pena Nieto gestures during a dialogue session Russian President Vladimir Putin upon his arrival at Ngurah Rai International airport to attend summit John Kerry, right, speaks with Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov during their bilateral meeting on the sidelines of the summit