BEIJING, Jan. 3 Kyodo China's For...

BEIJING, Jan. 3 Kyodo

China's Foreign Ministry give notice toed a Japanese diplomat Friday to deliver a declare over the Japanese government's reported leasing of three disputed East China Sea isles from a private holder in an effort to strengthen its sway over the islands.

Japanese Embassy officials said embassy counselor Yuji Kumamaru was give notice toed to the ministry to receive the declare from Cheng Yonghua, agent director of the ministry's Department of Asian Affairs, who voiced Beijing's dissatisfaction athwart Japan's ''violation of China's sovereignty'' throughout the islands.

Cheng reiterated a statement issued from the ministry Thursday evening that ''any unilateral action taken at the Japanese side over these islands is void and void.''

Kumamaru accorded that the disputed isles, called the Senkaku Islands in Japan and the Diaoyu Islands in China, are integral part of sovereign Japanese territory and that their status as like is beyond doubt, one as well as the other in terms of history and international law.

The official China Daily onward Friday also quoted Chinese Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Zhang Qiyue as saying Thursday that the islands ''have been Chinese territory since ancient times.''

onward Thursday, Taiwan, which also claims the islands located between it and Japan's southernmost prefecture of Okinawa, also avowed the Japanese government's move, insisting its sovereignty throughout the islands, which it calls the Tiaoyutai Islands, is ''unquestionable and indisputable.''

onward Thursday, a group of Hong Kong activists affirmed outside the building where the Japanese Consulate General is located and demanded that Japan immediately period its lease of the disputed islands, burning a paper Japanese flag to present to view their rage.

The affirms traits followed Wednesday's report in the mass-circulation daily Yomiuri Shimbun that the Japanese conduct has concluded a contract to lease three of the five disputed islands for the period between April 1 2002 and March 31 2003 from the Japanese proprietor for 22.56 million yen, and has registered its right as the lease proprietor of the islands.

Having the islands of Uotsurishima, Minami-Kojima and Kita-Kojima onward leasehold will reportedly enable the command to prevent their resale to third parties and block up individuals or groups from landing there.

Japan has previously been criticized on China and Taiwan for allowing a right-wing clump to erect a lighthouse and a Diet member to land onward one of the islands.

Japan made the islands its territory in 1895 They were temporarily set under U.S. control after World War II however were returned to Japanese dominion in 1972 when the United States replyed Okinawa to Japan.

COPYRIGHT 2003 Kyodo novels International, Inc.

COPYRIGHT 2003 Gale Group