Anger over Tokyo plan to buy islands China owns
Source: Agencies |
April 18, 2012, Wednesday
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Print Edition
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China yesterday denounced the governor of Tokyo's plan to use public funds to buy four islands in the Diaoyu islands.
Foreign Ministry spokesman Liu Weimin said the islands belonged to China and any unilateral action taken by Japan over Diaoyu and its nearby islands was illegal and invalid and could not change the reality of China's ownership.
Shintaro Ishihara, 79, announced the idea of buying the uninhabited islands in the East China Sea from private owners during his visit to Washington, and yesterday the Tokyo government confirmed the plan.
In a statement citing Ishihara, the Tokyo government said the islands were "extremely important" for Japan and offered great potential for development of natural resources and fisheries. Ishihara said the city was close to reaching an agreement with the "private Japanese owner" of three of the islands in the Diaoyu group.
Ishihara said the idea was to block China from taking the islands from Japanese control.
He did not indicate how much the city would pay, but said the deal would be finalized during his visit to the United States.
The Tokyo government currently pays rent to the "owners" of four of the islands in the Diaoyu group so they won't be sold to foreigners. It pays 24.5 million yen (US$303,677) a year to the "owner" of three islands, which are unused. The fourth is used by the US military for drills.
Japan's Chief Cabinet Secretary Osamu Fujimura said yesterday the central government might buy the islands.
Liu said any such unilateral action would not change the fact that Diaoyu and its adjacent islands belonged to China.
"The Diaoyu island and its affiliated islands have been part of China's territory since ancient times and China has indisputable sovereignty over them," Liu said.
Diplomatic ties between China and Japan hit a low point in late 2010 after Japan's arrest of a Chinese fishing boat captain near the islands, with Beijing temporarily freezing trade and ministerial talks.
Ishihara, elected for a fourth term a year ago, is no stranger to controversy. Last year, he was forced to apologize for suggesting that the March 11 earthquake and tsunami were "divine punishment" for the egoism of the Japanese people.
Ishihara's comments about the islands are also being seen as politically motivated to discredit Prime Minister Yoshihiko Noda's government, which is struggling to gain public support.
Foreign Ministry spokesman Liu Weimin said the islands belonged to China and any unilateral action taken by Japan over Diaoyu and its nearby islands was illegal and invalid and could not change the reality of China's ownership.
Shintaro Ishihara, 79, announced the idea of buying the uninhabited islands in the East China Sea from private owners during his visit to Washington, and yesterday the Tokyo government confirmed the plan.
In a statement citing Ishihara, the Tokyo government said the islands were "extremely important" for Japan and offered great potential for development of natural resources and fisheries. Ishihara said the city was close to reaching an agreement with the "private Japanese owner" of three of the islands in the Diaoyu group.
Ishihara said the idea was to block China from taking the islands from Japanese control.
He did not indicate how much the city would pay, but said the deal would be finalized during his visit to the United States.
The Tokyo government currently pays rent to the "owners" of four of the islands in the Diaoyu group so they won't be sold to foreigners. It pays 24.5 million yen (US$303,677) a year to the "owner" of three islands, which are unused. The fourth is used by the US military for drills.
Japan's Chief Cabinet Secretary Osamu Fujimura said yesterday the central government might buy the islands.
Liu said any such unilateral action would not change the fact that Diaoyu and its adjacent islands belonged to China.
"The Diaoyu island and its affiliated islands have been part of China's territory since ancient times and China has indisputable sovereignty over them," Liu said.
Diplomatic ties between China and Japan hit a low point in late 2010 after Japan's arrest of a Chinese fishing boat captain near the islands, with Beijing temporarily freezing trade and ministerial talks.
Ishihara, elected for a fourth term a year ago, is no stranger to controversy. Last year, he was forced to apologize for suggesting that the March 11 earthquake and tsunami were "divine punishment" for the egoism of the Japanese people.
Ishihara's comments about the islands are also being seen as politically motivated to discredit Prime Minister Yoshihiko Noda's government, which is struggling to gain public support.
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