New leaders 'won't shift Diaoyu stance'

Four Chinese marine surveillance ships patrolled waters off the Diaoyu Islands on Sunday. Analysts said China will keep up its consistent stance in response to Japanese rhetoric, despite the upcoming leadership transition during the 18th Party Congress.

The patrol team entered the waters to carry out normal activities to safeguard China's sovereignty over the Diaoyu Islands, a statement from the State Oceanic Administration said.

"China is becoming more confident in dealing with the dispute and Japanese government should realize that they have to offer something real at the discussion table, because the Chinese government and the public have a consensus on this matter," Tong Zeng, president of the Chinese Civilian Association for Safeguarding the Diaoyu Islands, told the Global Times.

Japanese Prime Minister Yoshihiko Noda said Friday that he believed that China's new leadership could realize the importance of the relationship between the world's second and third largest economy, and that he would try to cool down the confrontation through dialogue, the Kyodo News Agency reported.

At the same time, the Yomiuri Shimbun reported that Japan is planning to develop an unmanned drone that could help detect a nuclear missile attack from North Korea, but could also counter China's military buildup.

The Japanese defense ministry has demanded 3 billion yen ($372 million) over the next four years to develop the drone, which will come into operation in 2020, AFP quoted the Japanese newspaper as saying.

Da Zhigang, a professor of Japanese studies at the Heilongjiang Academy of Social Sciences, said Noda is trying to pressure Chinese new leaders for a softer stance on Japan but the coming congress is unlikely to change China's attitude.

Da noted that Noda's wording shows he is unwilling to solve the problem at present.

China should also see that as Japanese elections are coming, no Japanese leaders will back down on the matter, Da said.

China's Ambassador to Japan, Cheng Yonghua, on Saturday urged Japan to bring the bilateral relations back on track, noting that solving the issue is entirely Japan's responsibility.