China says it is strongly dissatisfied with U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton's remarks concerning disputed islands claimed by both China and Japan.

The Chinese Foreign Ministry said Monday that it “resolutely opposes” the U.S. stance and warns the United States to be “careful in words and cautious in action.”

Clinton said after a Washington meeting with Japanese Foreign Minster Fumio Kishida Friday that the United States opposes any unilateral actions that would undermine Japan's administration in the islands. She did not directly refer to China.

A treaty obligates the United States to come to Japan's aid if the islands are threatened.

Japan calls the islands the Senkakus while China calls them the Diaoyu. The United States siezed control of the islands during World War II and turned them over to Japan in 1972, The islands are uninhabited but the waters around them are rich in natural resources.