Beijing objects to Japanese curricula

China urged Japan on Thursday to face up to its past and reality, and to teach the younger generation the correct history after the Japanese government asked schools to teach students that the Diaoyu Islands are Japanese territory.

On Wednesday, Japan's Education Ministry released manuals for new national curriculum guidelines. These require that social studies materials in elementary and middle schools explain that the Diaoyu Islands are "inherent parts" of Japanese territory, The Japan Times reported.

Japan's curriculum guidelines are revised about every 10 years, and the new guidelines are to be introduced in stages starting in 2020, the report said.