China vows to maintain territorial sovereignty

BEIJING - No external pressure can shake the strong will and determination of the Chinese government and people to maintain territorial sovereignty, a Foreign Ministry spokeswoman said here Thursday.

Spokeswoman Hua Chunying made the remarks at a regular press briefing when asked to comment on the new campaign platform released by the Liberal Democratic Party (LDP), Japan's main opposition party.

The LDP issued its pre-election pledges on Wednesday. Shinzo Abe, head of the opposition, said Wednesday that he would set up a national security council at the prime minister's office to beef up Japan's defense and security amid an escalating territorial spat with China over a set of islands in the East China Sea.

Hua said, owing to historical reasons, Japan's movements in areas of military and security will always be of great concern to Asian countries victimized in World War II.

"We hope Japan can reflect on history and insist on peaceful development, so as to play a constructive role for regional peace, stability and development," Hua added.

Concerning Masato Kitera, the newly-designated Japanese ambassador to China, Hua said the Chinese government is dealing with the rotation according to international custom and relevant procedures. She hopes Kitera can make due efforts to improve bilateral relations.

The Japanese government officially approved the appointment of Kitera as its new ambassador to China at a cabinet meeting on Thursday morning.