Japan 'buying' 3 Diaoyu islands
Source: Agencies |
September 6, 2012, Thursday
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Print Edition
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THE Japanese government has agreed to buy several "privately owned" islands in the East China Sea, according to media reports yesterday.
It is buying three of the five Diaoyu islands from the Kurihara family for 2.05 billion yen (US$26 million), Japan's Kyodo News agency and the Yomiuri and Asahi newspapers reported, citing anonymous sources.
China repeated its claims to indisputable sovereignty over the islands.
"China's will and determination to defend its territorial sovereignty is unshakable," Foreign Ministry spokesman Hong Lei said yesterday. "China is closely watching the situation and will take necessary measures to protect its territorial sovereignty."
A Japanese government official declined to confirm the deal and said negotiations were continuing.
Tensions over the islands have flared since April, when Tokyo's governor, Shintaro Ishihara, announced a plan for the city government to raise money to buy the islands so they would not be vulnerable to purchase by an outside third party.
China does not recognize the Japanese family's ownership of the islands, so the deal would not affect China's claim to them.
Last weekend, Tokyo sent a team of experts to waters around the islands to survey fishing grounds and possible sites for development, a move strongly criticized by China.
Activists from Japan and Hong Kong briefly set foot on the uninhabited islands last month, and hundreds of Chinese have gathered in street protests in various cities in recent weeks.
The media reports said funding for the purchase would require Cabinet approval, and that was likely to happen in the next week or two. They said the deal could be finalized by the end of the month.
Calls by The Associated Press to the Kurihara family and business went unanswered.
Although the government's purchase of the islands would undoubtedly anger China, the reports said that it was intended more as a means of squelching Ishihara's more inflammatory proposal, which includes development plans. The islands are near key sea lanes and surrounded by rich fishing grounds and untapped natural resources.
No development would take place under the national plan, the reports said.
Chief Cabinet Secretary Osamu Fujimura said the government and "owner" were still talking and he would not comment on details about the discussion.
"We are negotiating with the owner while we try to grasp where the situation stands between (the central government) and the Tokyo metropolitan government," Fujimura said.
He said the government would make an announcement "when we reach a result after completing the process."
Responding to reporters' questions, Ishihara said he had spoken to the "owners of the islands" and claimed they told him that no final deal had been made yet.
City officials say there is no change in Tokyo's plans to try to buy them, or for Ishihara to visit the area himself sometime next month.
It is buying three of the five Diaoyu islands from the Kurihara family for 2.05 billion yen (US$26 million), Japan's Kyodo News agency and the Yomiuri and Asahi newspapers reported, citing anonymous sources.
China repeated its claims to indisputable sovereignty over the islands.
"China's will and determination to defend its territorial sovereignty is unshakable," Foreign Ministry spokesman Hong Lei said yesterday. "China is closely watching the situation and will take necessary measures to protect its territorial sovereignty."
A Japanese government official declined to confirm the deal and said negotiations were continuing.
Tensions over the islands have flared since April, when Tokyo's governor, Shintaro Ishihara, announced a plan for the city government to raise money to buy the islands so they would not be vulnerable to purchase by an outside third party.
China does not recognize the Japanese family's ownership of the islands, so the deal would not affect China's claim to them.
Last weekend, Tokyo sent a team of experts to waters around the islands to survey fishing grounds and possible sites for development, a move strongly criticized by China.
Activists from Japan and Hong Kong briefly set foot on the uninhabited islands last month, and hundreds of Chinese have gathered in street protests in various cities in recent weeks.
The media reports said funding for the purchase would require Cabinet approval, and that was likely to happen in the next week or two. They said the deal could be finalized by the end of the month.
Calls by The Associated Press to the Kurihara family and business went unanswered.
Although the government's purchase of the islands would undoubtedly anger China, the reports said that it was intended more as a means of squelching Ishihara's more inflammatory proposal, which includes development plans. The islands are near key sea lanes and surrounded by rich fishing grounds and untapped natural resources.
No development would take place under the national plan, the reports said.
Chief Cabinet Secretary Osamu Fujimura said the government and "owner" were still talking and he would not comment on details about the discussion.
"We are negotiating with the owner while we try to grasp where the situation stands between (the central government) and the Tokyo metropolitan government," Fujimura said.
He said the government would make an announcement "when we reach a result after completing the process."
Responding to reporters' questions, Ishihara said he had spoken to the "owners of the islands" and claimed they told him that no final deal had been made yet.
City officials say there is no change in Tokyo's plans to try to buy them, or for Ishihara to visit the area himself sometime next month.
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