Japan urged to curtailcomments on China

BEIJING - Chinese Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Jiang Yu on Thursday urged Japan to stop making irresponsible comments concerning China and take substantial action to safeguard bilateral ties.

Jiang's remarks came in response to new Japanese Foreign Minister Seiji Maehara's criticism of China on Wednesday over an incident in waters off the Diaoyu Islands involving a Chinese trawler and two Japanese coast guard vessels.

At a regular press conference, Jiang reiterated that the Diaoyu Islands and the adjacent islets have been an integral part of Chinese territory since ancient times.