Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Qin Gang urged Japan to be prudent on the East China Sea issue at a regular press conference Thursday.

He noted that China and Japan have not reached any agreement on boundary demarcations in the East China Sea or on exploration and exploitation of oil and gas resources there. He called for Japan to pay due attention to the fact, and not to take any action to complicate the situation.

Qin said China always holds that the issue be addressed through dialogue and friendly consultation.

"In a show of sincerity, China has proposed shelving the dispute and joint development of resources in the region, which isthe only correct approach that conforms to the common interests of the two sides," Qin said.

Qin also said that Japan should not try to impose its own proposition on China, and urged the Japanese government to act prudently and prevent worsening of the situation by taking any unilateral action.