China hopes the US will not become a third party in issues related to the Diaoyu Islands and the South China Sea, said a Chinese military official in a recent meeting with a top US defense official, according to a report released by the Ministry of National Defense on its website Friday.

China's military forces unswervingly defend the country's sovereignty, territorial integrity and marine rights and benefits, said Wang Guanzhong, deputy chief of general staff of the Chinese People's Liberation Army (PLA), during a meeting with James N. Miller, US Under Secretary of Defense for Policy in Beijing on Monday.

The US should not give the wrong signals to support or allow relevant countries to do whatever they want, Wang said.

China hopes that the US will solve problems properly and avoid influencing the strategic mutual trust between the two countries, he said.

Miller reiterated that the US has no stance on the final ownership of relevant territories and appealed to all sides involved to maintain restraint and said the US supported China in solving territorial disputes through diplomatic channels.

"Wang's words clearly indicate that the US has become embroiled in China's maritime issues," Zhuang Guotu, director of the Center for Southeast Asian Studies at Xiamen University, told the Global Times Friday.

On several occasions, the US has said that the Diaoyu Islands are included in the United States-Japan Security Treaty, which means the US supports Japan on the issue, said Zhuang. In the South China Sea issue, the US has frequently criticized China for not maintaining restraint, said Zhuang.

China and the Association of Southeast Asian Nations will hold meetings on implementing the Declaration on the Conduct of Parties in the South China Sea this weekend, China's foreign ministry announced Tuesday, the Xinhua News Agency reported.