Foreign Ministry spokesman Kong Quan said in Beijing Wednesday that any attempt by Japan to tighten actual control over the Diaoyu Islands is illegal and ineffective.

Kong pointed out that the islands have been a part of Chinese territory since ancient times and China has indisputable sovereignty over them according to history and international law.

He said the Chinese people's determination to safeguard the integrity of the motherland is firm and unswerving. China strongly urges Japan, for the sake of Chinese-Japanese relations, not to take any actions that infringe on China's sovereignty and further complicate the situation.

(Xinhua News Agency April 1, 2004)