A Taiwanese diplomat voiced concerns on Wednesday on heightening tensions between China and Japan's territorial dispute in the East China Sea, citing that the conflict may result in an "explosive" confrontation.

Ambassador of the Taipei Economic and Cultural Representative Office in the U.S., Lyushun Shen said that the two nations' frequent boat collisions in the disputed waters "could trigger a major incident."

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"It could be explosive," he added.

China's growing assertiveness in laying claim to the Senkaku Islands (also known as Diayou Islands in Chinese) has escalated tensions with Japan.

Shen attributed part of Beijing's aggression in the dispute to lingering animosity over the brutality it experienced under Tokyo rule during the Second Sino-Japanese War in 1937 that lasted for eight years.

"There is a 'Hate Japan' campaign going on," Shen said.

China's Xi Jinping slammed Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe in a speech commemorating the anniversary of the Second Sino-Japanese war on Monday.

While there was no specific mention of Abe, who earlier denied China's war crime allegations, Xi criticized against those who sought to "beautify the history of aggression" and warned that continued attempts to do so would create "regional tension."

Shen said he hopes that the two nations would be able to come to a "peaceful" resolution over political matters through continued integration of cultural, economic and social systems.

Meanwhile, many believe that China's growing aggression in asserting its claim in the East and South China Seas against neighboring Asian countries could push Washington to take a bigger role in the disputes.

U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry had reportedly discussed China's growing "aggressive behavior" in the disputed waters with Chinese top officials on Tuesday, according to a Reuters report.

"It certainly does not benefit China in the long run," said a senior U.S. official.

Although the U.S. has yet to take sides in the ensuing disputes, it has criticized Beijing's handling of the matter most notably when it deployed an oil rig in the Paracel Islands, a territory also claimed by Vietnam.

Washington urged all disputing nations to clarify their territorial claims and make sure that those claims coincided with international law.

TagsChina-Japan conflict, China-Japan relations, maritime dispute, East China Sea dispute, Diaoyu Island, Senkaku island, Lyushun Shen