A Chinese Foreign Ministry spokeswoman on Wednesday urged Japan to stop all provocative words and acts detrimental to China's sovereign rights.
Japan highlighted China as a major security threat in its latest defense white paper released on Tuesday, using harsher language than in previous papers.
Japanese defense report worrisome
Since taking office as Japanese prime minister, Shinzo Abe has been launching frequent diplomatic blitzes targeting China.
A spokesman for China's Foreign Ministry Tuesday expressed China's demand that Japan return to the track of managing and resolving disputes over the Diaoyu Islands.
Tensions escalated once again between Japan and its neighbors as China strongly protested against "provocation" by Japanese ships in the waters off the Diaoyu Islands. Japanese ships driven out of Diaoyu Islands Special: Diaoyu Islands dispute
A Chinese surveillance fleet patrolling waters near the Diaoyu Islands successfully expelled several Japanese ships illegally entering the waters on Tuesday morning.
A fleet of Chinese marine surveillance vessels has driven Japanese fishing boats out of waters surrounding the Diaoyu Islands. Diplomat protests intrusion into Diaoyu waters Special: Diaoyu dispute
Chinese Ambassador to Japan Cheng Yonghua on Tuesday protested against that Japan's intrusion into surrounding waters of the Diaoyu Islets
Territorial disputes between China and Japan led Chinese consumers to favor South Korean products over Japanese ones.
Chinese Foreign Minister Yang Jiechi urged Japan to taking real steps to correct its mistakes over the Diaoyu islands issue, and work with China to prevent the current tension from escalating or even "getting out of control."
China on Monday lodged strong protests to Japan over violations of the one-China policy related to Tokyo's anniversary commemoration of its devastating quake.
Beijing on Friday criticized hostile comments regarding China made by Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe during his visit to Washington. China strongly dissatisfied with Abe's words Diaoyu Islands dispute