China and Japan are engaged in a "tug of war" over the Diaoyu Islands, and not surprisingly a comparison of their diplomatic lexicons presents a stark contrast. China has always approached the dispute over the Diaoyu Islands from the overall perspective of Sino-Japanese relations, while Japanese politicians have tended to be myopic and reckless.

Since the dispute resurfaced in early September, high-ranking Chinese officials, including Premier Wen Jiabao and foreign ministry officials, have not made any remarks without mentioning the importance of bilateral ties. The latest remarks of Assistant Foreign Minister Hu Zhengyue proves that once again.

Commenting on Wen's participation in the upcoming series of meetings of East Asian leaders in Hanoi, Vietnam, Hu said China was serious about its relationship with Japan because the two countries are important for each other. Moreover, he did not rule out the possibility of a meeting between Wen and Japanese Prime Minister Naoto Kan in Hanoi, provided that the conditions and atmosphere were proper.

All this indicates China is committed to improving ties with Japan.

Regrettably, the Japanese Foreign Minister Seiji Maehara's comments on the Diaoyu Islands' dispute have not been helpful. Even though Maehara was known for his hawkish attitude toward China before he took office, the Chinese side was shocked when he told Japan's parliament on Monday that Beijing's countermeasures in the Diaoyu dispute were "hysterical".

Maehara's remarks are not part of diplomatic language. Instead of working for the common interest of the two countries to improve bilateral relations, he is walking in the opposite direction.

What Maehara has said is in total contrast to the harmonious atmosphere in which Wen and Kan held an informal meeting on the sidelines of the Asia-Europe Meeting in Brussels earlier this month. The two leaders agreed to increase people-to-people exchanges, improve inter-governmental communications and hold a high-level meeting at an appropriate time.

The Diaoyu dispute has been raging for more than a month. And it's obvious that the two countries don't want tension to escalate further. Instead, they want to defuse the tension as soon as possible.

Prolonged tension between China and Japan, two important players in regional and international affairs, will only hurt their interests.

In recent years, China has maintained restraint despite Japan's moves to illegally establish its hold over the Diaoyu Islands. China does not lack the ability or the resources to act more aggressively to defend its territorial integrity, but the traditional friendship between China and Japan is restraining it from doing so.

Hopefully, Japanese politicians will attach similar importance to bilateral relations and work to resolve the dispute through dialogue.