China announced yesterday/ on Sunday it was postponing a reception to mark the 40th anniversary of the normalization of China-Japan relations, saying the reception would be held at an appropriate time. Officials from the Chinese People's Association for Friendship with Foreign Countries (CPAFFC) and the China-Japan Friendship Association hinted that the decision was made due to territorial dispute between the two countries. It had been reported that the reception would be held on September 27^th . The Senkaku or Diaoyu Islands have been controlled by Japan since 1895, but both China and Japan claimed sovereignty over the islands.