China says ties with Japan at lowest point for 30 years

BEIJING, Monday (AFP) - China said Monday ties with Japan were at their lowest point since diplomatic relations were established in 1972, and that Tokyo was to blame, as it reiterated that it had no intention of apologising.

"There are serious difficulties between China and Japan at the moment," Vice Foreign Minister Wu Dawei told reporters.

"It is the most difficult time since the establishment of diplomatic ties in 1972 ... the reason is that the Japanese government cannot correctly handle the historical question, that is, the history of Japanese militarism's invasion of China."

China has allowed widespread anti-Japanese protests over the past three weekends and on Sunday the government refused Japan's demands for an apology and compensation for damage and occasional violence caused by the demonstrators.

"If anyone should apologise, Japan should apologise first," said Wu.

"The current difficult situation between China and Japan was caused by Japan, there is absolutely no need for China to apologise to Japan."

He said the main reason Chinese people had taken to the streets in their thousands was because "Japan cannot correctly face its history, including the shrine visits and the textbook revisions".

"This has brought dissatisfaction among Chinese people. This is the crux of the problem."

Japanese Foreign Minister Nobutaka Machimura was holding a second day of talks with Chinese leaders in Beijing Monday, with both sides insisting that the other take concrete measures to move relations forward.

Wu said Machimura's visit was "a start" but more talks were needed.