Japan’s premier-in-waiting Shinzo Abe came out fighting yesterday after his sweeping election victory, saying there can be no compromise on the sovereignty of islands at the centre of a dispute with China.

Japan owns and controls the islands under international law. There is no room for negotiation on this point

China reacted with alarm to Abe’s victory, after his Conservative Liberal Democratic Party crushed opponents in national polls and he immediately restated Tokyo’s claims.

“The Senkaku islands are Japan’s inherent territory,” Abe told a press conference, referring to an archipelago Beijing calls the Diaoyus.

“Japan owns and controls the islands... under international law. There is no room for negotiation on this point.”

Beijing declared itself ready to work with Japan on “further development of stable relations” but expressed disquiet at where Abe would lead Japan.

“We are highly concerned about which direction Japan will take,” foreign ministry spokeswoman Hua Chunying said at a regular briefing.

“The current task is now to properly handle the current issue” of the territorial dispute, she added. Abe is expected to be elected as premier by fellow lawmakers when Parliament meets for a special session on December 26.