China has told Japan it will not accept "excessive" criticism over issues involving the East and South China seas when their leaders meet on the sidelines of the Group of 20 summit, diplomatic sources said Saturday.

The two countries are trying to arrange the meeting of Prime Minister Shinzo Abe and President Xi Jinping on the fringes of the two-day G-20 summit of major economies beginning Sunday in Hangzhou, China.

Beijing has also pressed Tokyo not to take up the issue of Beijing's disputes with neighbors in the South China Sea during the G-20 summit, according to the sources.