Published: Sept. 11, 2013 at 6:04 AM

BEIJING, Sept. 11 (UPI) -- China has warned Japan to avoid provocative action over a clutch of uninhabited Islands in the latest war of words concerning the disputed East China Sea territory.

China's Foreign Ministry expressed "grave concern" over comments by Japanese Chief Cabinet Secretary Yoshihide Suga that Tokyo may station officials on the islands, known as Senkaku to the Japanese and Diaoyu in China.

China maintains the islands are its territory although they and the waters close around them have been under Japanese control for about 40 years.

China's official Xinhua News Agency quoted Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Hong Lei as saying China won't tolerate actions that violate its territorial sovereignty.

Hong urged Japan to "stop all provocative actions that undermine China's sovereignty" and "eliminate obstacles for improving bilateral relations."

Tension between Beijing and Tokyo has been high since Japan bought three of the five uninhabited islands from their private Japanese owner in September 2012.

The islands lie about 100 miles north of Japan's Ishigaki Island and about 115 miles northeast of Taiwan.

At the end of World War II the islands were under U.S. jurisdiction as part of the captured Japanese island of Okinawa. Japan has administered them since 1972 when Okinawa was returned to Japan.

The Japanese Cabinet secretary's comments come as seven Chinese patrol ships entered waters around the islands this week -- the latest of many incursions in the area, the Japanese coast guard said.

Originally posted here:

China warns Japan over Diaoyu Islands comments