Highlighting the defence statement, Chinese Foreign

Ministry Spokesperson, Hua Chunying told a media briefing that Japan is "deliberately spreading false information to smear China's image and play up the China threat". "We cannot help but ask what is Japan's true intention and cannot but maintain high vigilance against Japan's true intention. We hope Japan will renounce its petty tricks and come back to the normal track of resolution of issues through dialogue," it said. Tensions have been high between the two countries since September last year after Japan bought the disputed islands in the East China Sea from private parties. China since then went on the offensive and started aggressive patrolling, jostling with Japanese ships. Diplomatic efforts by both the countries to cool tensions so far have failed.