China has declared a territorial baseline for the disputed Diaoyu islands as tensions heighten with Japan which also claims the islands in the East China Sea.

China’s Foreign Ministry on Monday announced the base points and baselines of the territorial waters of the Diaoyu Islands and its affiliated islets.

Beijing's move comes in response to Japan nationalizing the disputed islands, which are called Senkaku in Japanese.

The conflict between the two Asian neighbors is expected to further escalate as both sides take more concrete measures over the islands.