Japanese prime minister Shinzo Abe has criticised China for "wrong" handling of a territorial dispute between the two Asian powers by allowing violent protests last year to damage Japanese factories and stores in China, Belfast Telegraph said.

Tokyo's decision to buy a cluster of disputed islands in September from their private Japanese owners set off protests and boycotts of Japanese products in China.

The islands in the East China Sea are controlled by Japan but also claimed by China and Taiwan.

Mr Abe, installed as prime minister two weeks ago, said at a press conference that it was "wrong for China, as a country responsible to the international community, to achieve a political goal by allowing damages to Japanese-affiliated companies and Japanese nationals that have made contributions to Chinese economy".