China asks Japan to stop East China Sea islands provocations

BEIJING: Chinese foreign minister Qin Gang and his Japanese counterpart Yoshimasa Hayashi discussed disputed islands in the East China Sea on Thursday, with both expressing concerns and Qin hoping Japan could stop “right-wing” provocations.

The disputed East China Sea islets claimed by both China and Japan have long been a sticking point in bilateral relations. China calls the islands Diaoyu, while Japan calls them Senkaku.

In their first conversation since Qin took office, he told Hayashi that Beijing hopes Japan can stop “right-wing forces” from provoking disputes over the contested islands, according to a statement from the foreign ministry.