China told Japan Wednesday to treat its citizens who landed on the Diaoyu Islands carefully and not take any action that would jeopardize their safety.

According to Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Kong Quan, seven Chinese citizens landed on the islands after a sea journey on early Wednesday, and they were detained by the Japanese coastguard in the afternoon.

Kong said the Diaoyu Islands have been China's territory from time immemorial, and the Chinese government has all along proposed resolving the dispute through negotiations.

On Wednesday, Deputy Foreign Minster Zhang Yesui and the Asian affairs department of the foreign ministry summoned the charge d'affaires ad interim of Japan to China and lodged solemn representations.

(Xinhua News Agency March 25, 2004)