China says Japan ties anniversary ruined by island row

BEIJING (REUTERS) - Next week's 40th anniversary of the normalisation of diplomatic ties between China and Japan has been ruined by Japan's decision to buy a group of disputed islands in the East China Sea, the Chinese Foreign Ministry said on Friday.

A flare-up in a diplomatic row over the uninhabited islands, called Diaoyu in China and Senkaku in Japan, triggered mass protests in China and heightened maritime tension as Chinese boats approached waters claimed by Japan.

"Previously, all concerned in China and Japan hoped that through this (anniversary) they could further advance relations between China and Japan," ministry spokesman Hong Lei told a daily news briefing.

"But due to Japan's erroneous action of illegally buying the Diaoyu islands, many plans have been ruined, and currently many activities have been affected. The culpability lies entirely with Japan." Japanese media have reported that the China-Japan Friendship Association will go ahead with a large-scale ceremony in Beijing on Thursday to mark Japan's switching of diplomatic recognition from Taiwan to China four decades ago.