Chinese foreign ministry spokeswoman Jiang Yu made the comments after Tokyo said Beijing had shipped drilling equipment to the gas field, adding to the worst tensions in years between the world's number two and three economies.

Beijing is furious about Japan's arrest of a Chinese fishing boat captain in disputed waters and has scrapped scheduled talks with Japan over the joint exploration of the field, called Shirakaba by Japan and Chunxiao by China.

"The Chinese side has complete sovereign rights and the right of jurisdiction over the Chunxiao oil and gas fields," Jiang said in a statement.

"China's activities in the Chunxiao area are completely reasonable and legal."

Japanese Foreign Minister Katsuya Okada, before stepping down in a cabinet reshuffle Friday, confirmed Japan had witnessed the ship transports several days ago and repeatedly inquired about them through diplomatic channels.

Aerial photos taken by Japan's Self-Defence Forces on daily surveillance flights had revealed the shipments and workers engaged in what appeared to be preparations for drilling, Kyodo News reported.

Okada said Beijing had told Tokyo the equipment was taken to the site for "repair work," adding he "strongly expects" that China would refrain from starting gas extraction from the field.

Jiang did not comment specifically on the nature of China's activities in the area.

The neighbours are entangled in their worst spat in years, stemming from the September 7 collision of a Chinese fishing trawler and two Japanese coastguard vessels near a disputed island chain in the East China Sea.

China has so far summoned Japan's ambassador five times over the incident, cancelled a senior lawmaker's Tokyo visit and repeatedly demanded the boat's captain be released from Japanese custody, calling his detention "illegal".

Japan has called the situation "extremely regrettable". Its officials also say there are no plans for the prime ministers of the two countries to meet next week on the sidelines of a UN summit in New York.

Tokyo has warned its citizens in China to remain vigilant ahead of possible anti-Japanese protests at the weekend in Beijing and Shanghai, though a leading Chinese patriotic group said Friday it had no plans to demonstrate.

The uninhabited islands -- called Senkaku in Japan and Diaoyu in China, and also claimed by Taiwan -- lie in an area with rich fishing grounds that is also believed to contain oil and gas deposits.

Okada's successor Seiji Maehara, named on Friday, inspected the two coastguard vessels on Thursday and reiterated Tokyo's claim that there is no territorial dispute.

Maehara later Friday voiced concern over the level of China's defence spending, although Prime Minister Naoto Kan struck a more conciliatory tone, saying: "Our basic friendly relationship between Japan and China has continued and I think it will continue."

The disputed Shirakaba or Chunxiao gas field lies in an area where both countries' claimed exclusive economic zones overlap, and has long been a bone of contention between the growing competitors for energy and mineral resources.

After China years ago started construction work there, irritating Japan, the two countries agreed in June 2008 that Japanese energy companies would be allowed to invest in the gas field development.

However, progress on cooperation soon stalled, while Japan reported observing unilateral operations by Chinese ships in the area.

In May, China's Premier Wen Jiabao and Japan's then-premier Yukio Hatoyama agreed to resume official talks on joint exploration. But Beijing last week cancelled planned talks amid the worsening diplomatic row.

Maehara said Japan would take "necessary actions" if it became clear that China was extracting gas from the disputed gas field, without elaborating.

earlier related report
Anti-Japan protesters rally in China over boat row
Beijing (AFP) Sept 18, 2010 - Waving banners and chanting anti-Japanese slogans, protesters staged rallies in China Saturday to voice anger over the arrest of a Chinese trawler captain which has sparked a major diplomatic row.

"Down with little Japan", "free our captain" and "remember September 18", demonstrators shouted in Beijing as sirens rang out to commemorate Saturday's highly sensitive anniversary of Japan's invasion of Manchuria in 1931.

Beijing is furious about the seizure of a Chinese fishing boat near a disputed island chain in the East China Sea and the subsequent arrest of the captain.

Tokyo says he intentionally rammed two Japanese coastguard vessels during a high-seas chase on September 7.

The incident has sparked the worst tensions between the Asian neighbours in years, with Beijing summoning Tokyo's ambassador five times in a week and scrapping scheduled talks over joint energy exploration in the East China Sea.

The uninhabited islands -- called Senkaku in Japan and Diaoyu in China, and also claimed by Taiwan -- lie in an area with rich fishing grounds that is also believed to contain oil and gas deposits.

Tokyo had warned its citizens in China to remain vigilant to ensure their safety in the event of any backlash over the dispute.

More than 100 demonstrators rallied near Japan's embassy in Beijing and a group also stopped outside the Chinese foreign ministry, where they chanted "down with the traitors to the motherland" and urged China to "retake the Diaoyu islands".

In Shanghai, around 20 demonstrators gathered near the Japanese consulate and several were arrested, an AFP journalist witnessed. Other protesters tried unsuccessfully to block the police car taking them away.

Sirens wailed in several cities to mark the anniversary of Japan's occupation of a swathe of northern China which began with an assault on the city of Shenyang 79 years ago.

The atrocities committed by Japanese forces have cast a long shadow over relations between the two economic powerhouses, with frequent calls on Tokyo to apologise.

About 70 protesters marched through central Hong Kong towards the Japanese consulate, chanting for the return of the ship's captain and the disputed island chain.

"The Diaoyu islands are Chinese territory but they're under the control of the Japanese government," Derek Lien, 24, told AFP. "We want the ship's captain returned and an apology."

Albert Ho, chairman of Hong Kong's Democratic Party, called on Tokyo to "tender an unqualified written apology" over the maritime incident and "immediately return the Diaoyu islands to our country".

"We want to let the Japanese understand the feelings of our nation," Ho told reporters.

Protesters held Chinese flags and waved banners with slogans such as "Chinese people can't be put down by the Japanese government", while Ho called for "reasonable compensation for war crimes" committed during the Manchurian invasion.

"Money is not the problem -- the Japanese government needs to apologise for history," Will Tan, 31, told AFP.

"They made mistakes and did bad things to Chinese people."

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