Chinese Foreign Minister Yang Jiechi on Tuesday stressed China's ownership of the Diaoyu Islands at a meeting with his Japanese counterpart on the sidelines of the ongoing session of the UN General Assembly in New York.

During the meeting with Koichiro Gemba, Yang reiterated China's "solemn position on the issue of the Diaoyu Islands, which have been China's sacred territory since ancient times," Xinhua News Agency reported.

This was the first ministerial meeting between the two countries since the Japanese government's illegal "purchase" of the islands on Sept 10.

Tokyo's move brought the bilateral ties to their lowest level in years and sparked protests across China.