China asks Japan to stop 'right-wing' provocations on East China Sea islands

BEIJING: China has asked Japan to stop “right-wing forces” from provoking disputes over controversial islands in the East China Sea. 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. Senkaku Islands are a group of uninhabited islands in the East China Sea. Both Japan and China claim the islands, known as the Senkaku in Japan and Diaoyu in China. “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. Expressing “serious concerns” about the East China Sea, including China’s activities around the islands, as well as its “increasingly active military activities near Japan, Hayashi also said that Bilateral relations face “many challenges and Japanese public opinion toward China is “extremely severe". Both the country, however, agreed on cooperating to build a constructive and stable relationship and said they would continue close communication at all levels, including at the summit level, the statement said. The disputed Islands were formally claimed by Japan in 1895. After Japan’s defeat in World War II, the island chain was controlled by the US until 1971 before its return. Since then, Japan has administered the island chains. China started claiming the Islands in the 1970s, citing historic rights to the area. However, Japan does not recognise the claims. With inputs from agencies. Read all the  Latest News ,  Trending News ,  Cricket News ,  Bollywood News , India News  and  Entertainment News  here. Follow us on  Facebook,  Twitter and  Instagram.