September 05, 2012
Japan's government has agreed to buy a group of East China Sea islands
at the center of a heated territorial dispute with China.
Japanese media reported Wednesday that the central government will pay private Japanese landowners $26 million for the three main islands in the chain, known as Senkaku in Japan and Diaoyu in China.
The mostly uninhabited islands are controlled by Japan, but claimed by China and Taiwan. They sit on top of what are thought to be vast oil deposits and have a long history of straining relations between China and Japan.
Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Hong Lei called the reported purchase "illegal and invalid," saying Beijing will take "necessary measures to defend its national territorial sovereignty."
Japanese Chief Cabinet Secretary Osamu Fujimura would not confirm that Tokyo has struck a deal with the Japanese family that owns the islands, but said talks were under way.
"Of course, we are negotiating with the owner while we try to grasp where the situation stands between [the central government] and the Tokyo metropolitan government. I cannot talk about the content of our discussions whatsoever as they are still in process," said Fujimura.
Earlier this year, Tokyo's outspoken nationalist governor, Shintaro Ishihara, offered to have his metropolitan government buy the islands, saying Japanese leaders were not doing enough to protect the territory from Chinese claims.
Observers say Ishihara's move effectively forced the hand of Tokyo's central government, which is anxious to avoid a confrontation with Beijing. China does not recognize the Japanese family's ownership of the islands, and has repeatedly warned against Tokyo's attempts to purchase them.
Tensions involving the islands were further raised in August when Japan arrested a group of pro-China activists who planted a Chinese flag on the islands in support of Beijing's claim. The activists were quickly deported, but the event prompted a series of anti-Japan demonstrations across China. Last week in Beijing someone ripped the national flag off the Japanese ambassador's car, in the latest flare-up.
Japanese media reported Wednesday that the central government will pay private Japanese landowners $26 million for the three main islands in the chain, known as Senkaku in Japan and Diaoyu in China.
The mostly uninhabited islands are controlled by Japan, but claimed by China and Taiwan. They sit on top of what are thought to be vast oil deposits and have a long history of straining relations between China and Japan.
Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Hong Lei called the reported purchase "illegal and invalid," saying Beijing will take "necessary measures to defend its national territorial sovereignty."
Japanese Chief Cabinet Secretary Osamu Fujimura would not confirm that Tokyo has struck a deal with the Japanese family that owns the islands, but said talks were under way.
"Of course, we are negotiating with the owner while we try to grasp where the situation stands between [the central government] and the Tokyo metropolitan government. I cannot talk about the content of our discussions whatsoever as they are still in process," said Fujimura.
Earlier this year, Tokyo's outspoken nationalist governor, Shintaro Ishihara, offered to have his metropolitan government buy the islands, saying Japanese leaders were not doing enough to protect the territory from Chinese claims.
Observers say Ishihara's move effectively forced the hand of Tokyo's central government, which is anxious to avoid a confrontation with Beijing. China does not recognize the Japanese family's ownership of the islands, and has repeatedly warned against Tokyo's attempts to purchase them.
Tensions involving the islands were further raised in August when Japan arrested a group of pro-China activists who planted a Chinese flag on the islands in support of Beijing's claim. The activists were quickly deported, but the event prompted a series of anti-Japan demonstrations across China. Last week in Beijing someone ripped the national flag off the Japanese ambassador's car, in the latest flare-up.
6 comments:
Japs must return the islands to China or China will nuke your country into nuclear meltdown again.
China can kiss the Japanese ass
All of you gentlemen STOP inciting violences. Japan and China both are Cambodia friends. Let them two solve their dispute peacefully. War between China and Japan will get U. S. A involve and this can lead to WW III. This war can wipe out human race. Also, world economy will collapse. Everyone will be starving.
First group they trying to kill will be Cpp's clans to get even while they robbed poor khmers took their land sold to its cronies.Hun cent& Heng DumRin and Chea Sim all will be...with the wind...fishes foods in Maekong River...
Looking at the map, If China took all the islands and the water aroung them, they will " block" the water way of the small Asian Countries and other Countries like the US.
For the Paracel Islands there's no way for the Viets to claim them. They have been administred and controlled by China.
It seems China អាងយ៉ាង by expanding
it water territory too far to the South China Sea, blocking the breath of the small Asian countries.
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