Japan Ex-PM Slammed As "Traitor" For China Dispute Comments

A top Chinese official has called for talks with Japan to dampen escalating tensions over disputed East China Sea islands - Diaoyu in China and Senkaku in Japan - claimed by both countries. Jia Qinglin met with former Japanese Prime Minister Yukio Hatoyama in China and later called upon Beijing and Tokyo to engage in dialogue over the Japanese-controlled islands. CNN reports that the Japanese government in turn slammed Hatoyama as a "traitor" for treating China's claims as a legitimate "territorial dispute." Analysts are suggesting that the Japanese reaction falls short of signaling imminent talks.