China on Saturday demanded that Japan reverse its nationalization of the Senkakus and address the sovereignty dispute through negotiations, urging Tokyo to "make concrete efforts" to prevent fraught bilateral ties from spiralling out of control.
Chinese Foreign Minister Yang Jiechi said the sharp deterioration in Sino-Japanese relations was "single-handedly" caused by Japan's purchase last September of three of the main Senkaku islets, and accused Tokyo of "illegally" seizing and occupying what he termed Chinese territory. The islet group in the East China Sea is administered by Japan but has been claimed by China since the 1970s.
"The Chinese side believes that Japan needs to face up to reality, take real steps to correct its mistakes and work with us to handle and resolve relevant issues through dialogue and consultations, so as to prevent a further escalation of the situation and stop it getting out of control," Yang said on the sidelines of the National People's Congress in Beijing.