Residents of Changchun, in northeast China's Jilin Province, have protested their opposition to the content of Japanese history textbooks by withdrawing Asahi beer from supermarket shelves.

But Foreign Ministry spokesperson Liu Jianchao played down the move at Thursday's regular press conference, saying there is no anti-Japanese sentiment in China.

However, Japan's equivocal attitude towards its militaristic past has become a barrier to relations, he added.

"There is no feeling against Japanese people," Liu said, referring to reports of the protest in an area colonized during the war that followed claims the Asahi brewery had financed a textbook distorting Japan's World War II aggression toward China.

"The main cause of the Chinese public's dissatisfaction is that Japan fails to treat history in a correct, objective and responsible manner," said Liu.

Asahi Beer's China representative released a statement yesterday denying the company had any financial connection to the right-wing history textbook.

"It is our hope that economic and trade issues are not politicized," said Liu.

Liu also welcomed popular Japanese table tennis star Fukuhara Ai, who has joined a club in Liaoning Province, also in the northeast, for this year's Chinese league. The 17-year-old has many fans in China.

"We hope Miss Fukuhara is happy in China and does well in the league," said Liu.

He said China does not want bilateral ties to be soured by political issues, and that friendly relations are in line with the common will of both countries.

He said China is willing to promote mutual understanding and friendship with Japan through athletic and cultural exchanges.

Liu added that some Chinese people's opposition to Japan's bid for a permanent seat on the UN Security Council stems mainly from the country's attitude to its history.

Japan's trade with China reached almost US$170 billion last year, more than that between Japan and the US. But political ties between them have been strained by historical issues.

The two governments are also experiencing friction over oil exploration in a disputed area of the East China Sea.

"We demand Japan not to do anything that will complicate the situation," Liu said, responding to reports that it plans to start oil exploration in the disputed area if China continues to withhold data on natural gas fields there.

He also challenged Japan's claim to a 370-kilometer radius around Okinotori as its exclusive economic zone (EEZ). China holds that Okinotori is a rock but Japan defines it as an island.

The UN Convention of the Law of the Sea holds that rocks that cannot sustain human habitation or economic life are not eligible for EEZ claims.

"The question shall be solved properly through consultation," Liu said.

When asked to comment on the opposition of the US and Japan to the lifting of the EU's weapons embargo on China, Liu said their "negative attitude" does not conform to the interests of Sino-EU relations and at the same time is groundless.

"China is in opposition to their groundless negative attitudes as its request of the EU to lift the arms embargo is not targeted against the US, Japan or any other third party," Liu said.

In reply to the speech of a Luxembourg official who allegedly said it was now difficult for the EU to lift the ban by the end of June, Liu said China has asked Luxembourg to clarify the report.

"China hopes the EU will make the correct decision of lifting arms embargo at an early date so as to sweep away some unnecessary hurdles to the all-round growth of Sino-EU relations," the spokesperson said.

Liu also said that China would make greater efforts to protect intellectual property rights (IPR). Over the past year, judicial departments have dealt with more than 9,000 infringement cases and offenders are being punished more severely, he said.

A nationwide campaign to protect IPR due to conclude in September will also be extended to the end of the year.

Turning to Sino-Indonesian cooperation on an earthquake and tsunami early-warning station network, Liu said the China Seismological Bureau signed a contract with its Indonesian counterpart in early March, as promised by Premier Wen Jiabao at January's international relief summit.

China's aid includes 10 broadband digital stations, two back-up stations, 10 strong-motion seismographs and a data-processing center, worth a total 27 million yuan (US$3.3 million).

The network will help improve Indonesia's accuracy in figuring out the positions and levels of earthquakes, said Liu.

Asked about the Korean nuclear issue, Liu said the early resumption of six-party talks depends on the joint efforts of all parties concerned, not only on China, and that it is the common goal of all sides to restart the talks and produce a nuclear-free Korean Peninsula.

He said China is calling on all sides to show flexibility and sincerity and to adopt practical attitude to the talks, and that China has held consultations with all parties, who are also actively deliberating future actions to be taken.

Liu announced that Foreign Minister Li Zhaoxing has left Beijing for a three-nation visit to Nepal, the Maldives and Afghanistan.

During his visit, Li will exchange views with leaders of the three countries on bilateral relations.

(CRI.com, China Daily, Xinhua News Agency April 1, 2005)