China's position of safeguarding its core interests and defending international justice has not changed, and Japan must immediately withdraw its wrongful remarks and give the Chinese people a clear account, the Foreign Ministry said.

Ministry spokeswoman Mao Ning told a regular news briefing on Tuesday that the current situation in China-Japan relations is rooted in the fact that Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi openly made wrong remarks related to Taiwan, grossly interfered in China's internal affairs, seriously violated the one-China principle and the spirit of the four political documents between China and Japan, and undermined the political foundation of China-Japan relations.

She said the Japanese side must immediately withdraw its wrongful remarks, deeply reflect on itself and correct mistakes, and give the Chinese people a clear account.

Mao also said China once again lodged stern representations with Japan over Takaichi's comments during talks in Beijing between Liu Jinsong, director general of the Department of Asian Affairs of the Foreign Ministry, and Masaaki Kanai, the top official in Japan's foreign ministry for Asia-Pacific affairs.

"Takaichi's fallacies seriously violate international law and the basic norms governing international relations," Mao said, adding her comments "fundamentally damage the political foundation of China-Japan relations".

Meanwhile, Japan has warned its citizens in China to step up safety precautions and avoid crowded places.

"Pay attention to your surroundings and avoid as much as possible squares where large crowds gather, or places that are likely to be identified as being used by many Japanese people," the Japanese embassy in China said in a statement on its website dated Monday.

Asked about the warning to Japanese visitors, Mao said the "Chinese government has always and will continue to protect the safety of foreign citizens in China in accordance with the law".

And according to AFP, about 500,000 air tickets to Japan are thought to have been cancelled by Chinese passengers, the agency quoted an aviation analyst as saying, after Beijing warned its citizens not to visit. (Xinhua & agencies)