He made the remarks after the Japanese Government said it had ordered
schoolbook publishers to state clearly in their texts that the islands are part
of Japanese territory.
Sino-Japanese relations are at their lowest ebb because of Japanese Prime
Minister Junichiro Koizumi's repeated visits to the Yasukuni Shrine that
worships war criminals of World War II.
However, Japanese people on the whole seem keen on harmonious relations with
China.
According to a survey released by the Japanese Foreign Ministry on Wednesday,
an overwhelming 77.9 per cent of respondents said bilateral ties should be
improved.
Asked what they thought were stumbling blocks, 58.9 per cent cited issues
related to the country's war past, such as Koizumi's shrine visits and Japanese
textbooks that distort history.
On the brighter side, President Hu Jintao will meet the heads of seven
Japan-China friendship organizations including former Japanese prime minister
Ryutaro Hashimoto in Beijing today.
"The visit signifies the positive attitude China has on promoting
Sino-Japanese friendly exchanges and co-operation," Qin said.