Beijing asked Tokyo not to arrest a Chinese man who attempted to land on the Senkaku Islands in a hot air balloon on New Year's Day and had to be rescued by the Japan Coast Guard in nearby waters, sources familiar with the situation revealed Saturday.

The Chinese government made the request believing the man's arrest or detention by Japanese authorities could cause irreparable harm to bilateral relations, which are already tense over the Japan-held Senkakus, the sources said. China and Taiwan both claim the islet chain in the East China Sea as part of their respective territories.

The incident took place just six days after Prime Minister Shinzo Abe controversially visited war-related Yasukuni Shrine, further aggravating Sino-Japanese ties.