BEIJING - China will not permit Japan to purchase the Diaoyu Islands in the East China Sea, a Foreign Ministry spokesman said Monday.

"We cannot allow anyone to buy or sell China's sacred territory," spokesman Liu Weimin said at a regular press conference.

The statement came in response to a Saturday statement by Japanese Prime Minister Yoshihiko Noda in which he indicated that the Japanese government is considering buying the Diaoyu Islands.

Liu said the Chinese Foreign Ministry and Chinese Embassy in Japan lodged complaints to Japan on Saturday to demonstrate the Chinese government's firm stance on safeguarding the territorial sovereignty over the Diaoyu Islands.

Liu reiterated that the Diaoyu Islands and its affiliated islands have been part of China's inherent territory since ancient times and that China's claim to the islands is backed by indisputable historical evidence.

"The Chinese government will continue to take necessary measures to resolutely safeguard its sovereignty over the Diaoyu Islands and its adjacent islets," he said.