China said Thursday that it hopes Japan would handle fishing disputes properly in accordance with the agreements reached between the two sides.

When asked to comment on what if Japan directly negotiate with the Taiwan authority on their fishing disputes, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Liu Jianchao said such moves will violate the one China principle and do not comply with specifications of the China-Japan fishing agreement.

"China will express strong opposition to it," he said.

Taiwanese fishermen said that they have been repeatedly driven away by Japanese patrol boats in the waters of the Diaoyu Islands, their traditional fishing grounds.

China and Japan have signed a fishing agreement which contains stipulations on issues of fishing in the relevant waters, said the spokesman, adding that Taiwan is part of China and both the Chinese and Japanese sides should follow the agreement.

"The Chinese Government attaches great importance to the protection of the legitimate fishing rights of China's fishermen, including those from Taiwan," Liu said.

China has voiced its strong resentment to Japan's driving away of Taiwan fishing boats in waters near China's Diaoyu islands, and demands Japan handle the fishing disputes earnestly, prudently and properly, said the spokesman. "We have all along been following the development of the issue."

Source: Xinhua