Beijing on Thursday criticized the Japanese foreign minister's rejection of China's assertion of sovereignty over the Diaoyu Islands, as Europe continued to give Tokyo's publicity tour the cold shoulder.

In his contributing piece to the French newspaper Le Figaro, Japanese Foreign Minister Koichiro Gemba outlined Japan's rival claim to the islands and said "it is totally unjustified to push through claims by using violence and ignoring global rules".

Yet Japan occupied the islands and affiliated islets 117 years ago during its expansion and aggression era, Foreign Ministry spokesman Hong Lei said on Thursday.