China complained to Japan early this month about Japanese fishing boats allegedly "trespassing" in its territorial waters near a group of disputed islands in the East China Sea, it was learned Sunday.
Diplomatic sources familiar with Sino-Japanese relations said Japan immediately rejected the Chinese demands, made through diplomatic channels, as "unacceptable" since the Senkaku Islands are administered by Japan.
It is unusual for China to call on the Japanese government to manage the operation of fishing boats in waters surrounding the inhabited islands, which the Chinese side also claims and calls Diaoyu.