A Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman said Tuesday that China's policy of developing a long-term, stable, and good-neighborly relationship with Japan on the basis of the principles of drawing a lesson from history and facing up to the future has not changed, nor will in the future.

However, it needs the common efforts, Qin Gang said at a regular press conference.

The spokesman said the demonstration against Japan in Beijing over the weekend was a "spontaneous" move by some people in Beijing, because they were dissatisfied with the wrong attitude and practice Japan had taken recently on the issue of its history of aggression.

"The Chinese government has demanded that the demonstrators keep calm and sane and voice their opinions and attitude in a lawful and orderly way. We are not in favor of the few excessive actions during the demonstration," Qin said.

"The police have done a lot to maintain order and to keep the situation from aggravating, in order to ensure the safety of Japanese organizations and citizens in China," he said.

Just a week ago, Japan's Education Ministry approved a revised edition of history textbooks, which are widely criticized for distorting history and whitewashing its colonial rules and wartime atrocities last century.

The controversial history textbooks immediately sparked strong flames of fury from the Chinese from all walks of life, as thousands took to the streets in the capital to voice their anger.

The Chinese people are friendly and willing to carry out friendly cooperation with all countries, the spokesman said.

"No one wants to take to the streets every day," he added.