Minister of Commerce Chen Deming talks in a group interview on the sidelines of the 18th National Congress of the Communist Party of China in Beijing, Nov 10, 2012.  [Photo/Xinhua]

BEIJING - Minister of Commerce Chen Deming on Saturday pressed the Japanese government to correct its wrongdoings over China's Diaoyu Islands "as soon as possible", saying the China-Japan trade has been "seriously damaged" by Japan's farce.

In a group interview on the sidelines of the 18th National Congress of the Communist Party of China, which opened Thursday, Chen said China's exports to Japan and Japan's exports to China both fell to different extents after the illegal purchase of Diaoyu Islands by Japanese government.

"We're unwilling to see what's happening now (on China-Japan trade relations)," Chen said, "as industries of different countries are highly interconnected in a globalized era."

He said the Japanese government's illegal purchase of the Diaoyu Islands severely infringes China's sovereignty and territorial integrity and therefore it must take full responsibility for the worsening bilateral trade relations.

The minister said he hoped the Japanese government should take right actions to bring Sino-Japanese trade relations back on a normal track.

The Chinese government will protect the personal and property safety of foreign investors according to law, safeguard their normal business operations and properly handle the disruptions and damages they suffer in China.

Japan's government announced its decision on September 10 to "purchase" part of the Diaoyu Islands, which are China's inherent territory, and the action fueled anti-Japan protests and discontent among Chinese people in dozens of Chinese cities over the past two months.