Chief Secretary Anson Chan Fong On-sang provoked surprise yesterday when she described the disputed archipelago as the Senkaku Islands - the term the Japanese use.
When reporters at a Sydney press conference asked Mrs Chan about tension in the Diaoyus, she replied using the Japanese name.
Pro-Beijing legislators said they were shocked.
'I will demand an explanation from her in the upcoming session of the Legislative Council,' said Cheung Hon-chung.
Chan Yuen-han said: 'I think she has made a huge mistake . . . I deeply regret what she has said.' But administrative assistant Andrew Wong Ho-yuen, who is accompanying Mrs Chan on her Australian visit, said last night the Chief Secretary was not making a political point.
'She used the Japanese term three times at the 30-minute press conference because she wanted to maintain consistency throughout her speech,' Mr Wong said.