China said Sunday it had "lodged representation" with U.S. ambassador to China over the American response to China's establishment of East China Sea Air Defense Identification Zone.

Foreign Ministry spokesman Qin Gang said that China's Assistant Foreign Minister Zheng Zeguang had lodged representation with Gary Locke, calling for Washington to correct its mistakes.

Qin said the establishment of the air zone complies with the Charter of the United Nations and international laws and practices.

He said the aims of the zone "are to protect China's state sovereignty and territorial and airspace safety," adding that such a move did not target any specific nation and "will not affect the freedom of over-flight in relevant airspace."

The dispute over the islands, known as the Diaoyu in China and the Senkaku in Japan, heated up last year when Japan's government bought some of them from a private owner.

China announced to establish the East China Sea Air Defense Identification Zone last Saturday. U.S. Department of State and certain officials expressed concern after the announcement.

Qin reiterated that the Diaoyu Island and its surrounding islets are an inherent part of the Chinese territory and China "will firmly defend the territorial sovereignty over the Diaoyu Islands."

"The current situation over the Diaoyu Islands totally derived from the wrong words and deeds of the Japanese side," he said.

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