China accused Japan on Monday of trying to "confuse" the situation in the South China Sea, after it decided to step up its activity through joint training patrols with the United States and bilateral and multilateral exercises with regional navies in the disputed waters.
Last week, during a visit to Washington, Japan's defence minister said Japan has increased its engagement in the area and it would include capacity building for coastal nations.
Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Lu Kang said the other countries in that region reached a general agreement that the South China Sea issue should be resolved through talks between the parties directly involved in it.
They have also decided that China and Southeast Asian countries should jointly maintain peace and stability in that region.
"Let's have a look at the results of Japan's throwing things into disorder over this same time period ... trying to confuse the South China Sea situation under the pretence of (acting for) the international community," Lu told Reuters.
He also added that Japan's actions have simply pushed other countries away from it. China has failed to compel other nations to see its point of view.
"China is resolute in its determination to protect its sovereignty and maritime interests," Lu said.
The conflict between Japan and China has been rising due to "China's incursions into the waters of the Tokyo-controlled disputed islands". Since August 5, Japan has lodged at least 32 protests regarding 30 intrusions by Chinese vessels in the territorial waters.
But, China regards them as its own and rejects the view that it violates Japan's territorial waters.
Beijing claims almost all of the South China Sea where its territorial claims overlap in parts with Vietnam, the Philippines, Malaysia, Brunei and Taiwan.
An arbitral tribunal in The Hague ruled in July that China's vast territorial claims in the South China Sea have no legal basis. The court criticized Beijing's environmental destruction in the disputed area.
The ruling infuriated China and it refused to participate in the case. China denied to accept or recognise the tribunal's decision.
Apart from South China Sea, Japan also has its own conflict with China over territories in the East China Sea.
