Japan will today recall its ambassador to China, Uichiro Niwa, temporarily to discuss how to respond to recent developments concerning the disputed Diaoyu Islands, Japan's foreign minister, Koichiro Gemba, was quoted as saying yesterday.
Gemba was speaking in Hanoi, Japan's Kyodo news agency said.
The news came a day after Niwa cancelled a six-day visit this week to China's northwest amid rising tension over the islands, which Japan calls the Senkakus.
Gemba denied the plan was meant as a protest against China. He said the ambassador would be sent back to Beijing soon.
Chinese analysts, though, speculated that Niwa could lose his job.
'Since the contract of Niwa as Chinese ambassador will be up soon, it's likely that Tokyo is now considering replacing him,' said Liu Jiangyong, a professor of international relations at Tsinghua University.
Liu said such a move would only add uncertainty to already turbulent Sino-Japanese relations.