Beijing: China on Wednesday hinted at slapping economic and trade sanctions against Japan if it fails to rescind its move of purchasing disputed islands in the East China Sea also claimed by Beijing.
As Japanese government went ahead with its plans to buy the islands from a private party for about USD 26.5 million yesterday, China raised strong opposition saying that it amounted to stealing its territory and dispatched two Maritime Surveillance Vessels to the area.
The uninhabited islands are called as Diaoyu islands by China and Senkaku islands by Japan. Asked whether China will consider economic and trade sanctions in view of the Japanese decision, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Hong Lei told reporters here on Wednesday that Beijing will “take all corresponding measures to defend its territorial sovereignty”.
“China’s sovereignty over the Diaoyu islands and adjacent waters is sacred. There is plentiful historical and legal evidence for that. Japan’s so called purchase of the islands is illegal and invalid and China is firmly opposed to that”, Hong said. “China will closely monitor the developments of the situation.
According to the situation China will take corresponding measures to defend its territorial sovereignty”, he added. Hong’s comments came as senior Japanese Foreign Ministry official, Shinsuke Sugiyama, held talks with his Chinese counterparts here on Wednesday over the raging dispute which is escalating rapidly into war of words between the two countries.
Japanese officials said Sugiyama for his part sought to explain that the purchase would enable the Japanese government to deal with the islands in a more rational way and to prevent any construction planned by right wing elements on the islands.
Reports from Japan said the two surveillance ships sent by China close to the islands stayed out of 24 km restricted zone and closely monitored by the Japanese Coast Guard vessels.
Asked whether the ships would go into the restricted zone, Hong said the ships would “continue to carry out regular law enforcement activities in waters under China’s jurisdiction”.
Meanwhile, the official media here has gone ballistic on the issue saying that Japan should be taught a lesson.
Chinese media came out scathing editorials against Japan for executing the purchase despite opposition from China. (PTI)