Japan took steps yesterday to defuse an escalating dispute with China over the possession of a group of islands in the East China Sea, with Shinzo Abe, prime minister, sending a letter to Chinese leaders through an envoy who suggested the dispute should be shelved and “left for future generations” to resolve.

Natsuo Yamaguchi, the envoy, said he hoped to meet Xi Jinping, China’s incoming president, during a four-day visit to Beijing, though it was not known whether Mr Xi had accepted the request. Mr Yamaguchi heads Komeito, the junior partner in Mr Abe’s ruling coalition that is known for its dovish views on China.

The stand-off over the uninhabited islands, which are known as the Senkaku in Japan and the Daioyu in China, has grown more fraught since the start of the year, with Japanese and Chinese fighter jets shadowing each other in the area and some commentators, particularly in China, openly discussing the possibility of war.