Japan Accuses China of Trying to Change Status Quo with Force 'in Some Areas' - FARS

(FNA)- New Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida accused China of trying to change the status quo with force "in some areas".

Speaking to reporters on Monday, Kisida stressed that the Japanese government "must closely watch whether China can meet the high levels required by the TTP [the Trans-Pacific Partnership agreement] on matters such as state-owned companies and information security", Sputnik reported.

According to him, there were "some questionable issues in China" related to human rights.

At the same time, the new Japanese prime minister touted China as Japan's largest trading partner, calling to continue discussions with Tokyo.

The remarks come after Chinese Foreign Ministry Spokeswoman Hua Chunying told a press conference last week that Beijing "is willing to work together with Japan's new governing team […] to deepen pragmatic cooperation in various areas and promote the healthy and stable development of Sino-Japanese relations".

Tokyo and Beijing remain at loggerheads over a group of uninhabited islands in the East China Sea, as well as issues related to Taiwan and Hong Kong.

Tokyo maintains it has had sovereignty over the islands since 1895, while Beijing claims that the islands are marked as a Chinese territory on Japanese maps circa 1783 and 1785.

Beijing does not recognise Japan claiming control over the islands, referring to the territory as the "Diaoyu Islands". Tokyo opposes Beijing's ships sailing in the vicinity of the disputed territory, calling them "unacceptable incursions".