The government on Monday reiterated its view that no territorial dispute exists between Japan and China, responding to a suggestion by a senior Chinese military official that the two nations put their tensions over islets claimed by Beijing on the back-burner.
"We don't have any territorial dispute to be solved over the Senkaku Islands," Chief Cabinet Secretary Yoshihide Suga told a news conference, referring to the uninhabited islets in the East China Sea controlled by Japan. China calls the islets the Diaoyu.
Suga's comments followed remarks on Sunday by Lt. Gen. Qi Jianguo that China and its Asian neighbors should "put aside" maritime territorial disputes and resolve their differences through dialogue and consultation.
"This is not an issue we should put on the shelf. We cannot accept any claims by China over the Senkakus," Suga said.