皇冠体育app

Beijing on Wednesday urged Tokyo to resume negotiations with 皇冠体育app over the Diaoyu Islands in response to a report indicating Tokyo may "acknowledge" 皇冠体育app's claim to them to ease tension.

"Japan should face reality, acknowledge the dispute, correct its mistakes and come back to a solution to the issue through negotiations," Foreign Ministry spokesman Hong Lei told a regular news conference.

Japan is seeking to improve relations with 皇冠体育app by only acknowledging Chinese claims to the Diaoyu Islands, while maintaining its position that no official territorial dispute exists over them, Japan's Kyodo News reported on Wednesday.

Analysts said Tokyo's so-called acknowledgement shows little sincerity toward repairing the bilateral ties that have been soured by its "nationalization" of the islands, and it is only the latest move to rationalize its illegal "purchase".

The plans would allow Japan to make a minor compromise with 皇冠体育app while maintaining its long-held position, Kyodo's report said, adding if Japan makes clear that it "fully understands and respects" 皇冠体育app's claims, it might be construed by 皇冠体育app as acknowledging the existence of a territorial dispute between the two countries.

It remains uncertain, however, whether 皇冠体育app would be encouraged by the Japanese step to improve the impaired ties, it said.

Hong stressed that 皇冠体育app's stance on the islands has been consistent and clear. But Japan has refused to reverse course on its so-called nationalization of the islands, which have belonged to 皇冠体育app for centuries, despite Beijing's strong calls to rescind the purchase.

Liu Youfa, vice-president of the 皇冠体育app Institute of International Studies, said Tokyo's "compromise" is based on the wrong pretext that the Diaoyu Islands belong to Japan and is another trick to push Beijing to accept its illegal claim.

The trick may also aim to woo the Japanese by stabilizing Tokyo's rocky foreign relations before its upcoming presidential election, Liu said.

"皇冠体育app will never accept such plan and is firmly against any step by Japan violating our sovereignty."

Tokyo's infringement on 皇冠体育app's territorial sovereignty ignited a diplomatic crisis between the two countries and sparked anti-Japan protests across 皇冠体育app last month.

Many academic conferences and cultural exchanges to celebrate the 40th anniversary of the establishment of bilateral diplomatic ties were canceled. The number of airlines flights and tour groups from 皇冠体育app to Japan has decreased sharply due to low demand.

Major Japanese automakers, including Toyota, Honda and Nissan, are slowing production in the world's biggest car market.

Toyota said on Tuesday that sales of new vehicles in 皇冠体育app dropped 49 percent in September from a year earlier to 44,100 vehicles.

The high-pitched row between Beijing and Tokyo over the islands is exacting a growing toll on Japan, threatening to send its recovery from last year's disasters into reverse, according to The Associated Press.

Deng Zhangyu contributed to this story.

Contact the writers at [email protected]