Foreign and Military Affairs

Beijing stern over Japan's Diaoyu Islands plot

(Xinhua)
Updated: 2010-12-18 11:02

Beijing -- China lashed a Japanese city's move to commemorate Japan's "stealthy" occupation of the Diaoyu Islands more than a century ago, saying any scheme to infringe upon its territorial sovereignty is nothing but fruitless labor.

Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Jiang Yu made the comments after the city assembly of Ishigaki in Okinawa Prefecture of Japan decided Friday to mark January14 as the day of the Japanese "pioneering" of the Diaoyu Islands, known as Senkaku in Japan.

"On January 14, 1895, Japan stealthily occupied the Chinese territories of the Diaoyu Islands. The so called 'pioneering' of this nature is absolutely nothing close to a graceful action," Jiang said.

Jiang emphasized that China has indisputable sovereignty over the Diaoyu Islands which have been an inherent part of China since the ancient times.

The Japanese side's recent moves on the Diaoyu Islands have caused tensions in relations between China and Japan.

In September, Japan seized a Chinese fishing boat and its crew on waters near the Diaoyu Islands. It returned the fishermen and trawler after repeated and strong representations by China.