Afghanistan: Obama says U.S. will stand by treaty obligations to Japan --- TOKYO — President Obama affirmed Thursday that U.S. treaty obligations to Japan extend to a chain of contested islands in the East China Sea, even as he emphasized that Japan and China should seek a peaceful resolution to the dispute. -- Speaking at a news conference with Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, Obama said the United States does not take a position “on final sovereignty over the islands,” which are called the Senkaku by Japan and the Diaoyu by China. But he noted that a long-standing treaty dictates that the United States would defend against any attack aimed at Japan. -- “We don’t take a position on final sovereignty determinations with respect to Senkakus, but historically they have been administered by Japan, and we do not believe that they should be subject to change unilaterally,” he said. “And what is a consistent part of the alliance is that the treaty covers all territories administered by Japan.” -- “At the same time,” Obama said, he has told Abe directly “that it would be a profound mistake to continue to see escalation around this issue rather than dialogue and confidence-building measures between Japan and China.” -- Obama emphasized that the position he was articulating “is not new.” He noted at one point, “First of all, the treaty between the United States and Japan preceded my birth, so obviously, this isn’t a ‘red line’ that I’m drawing.” -- But the president’s statement highlighted a broader theme in his week-long Asian trip: The United States remains focused on Asia and will deepen its economic and security ties in the region even as it contends with unrest in Ukraine and the Middle East.