Japan’s government has agreed to buy a group of islands in the East China Sea at the centre of a territorial dispute with China, a move likely to irk Beijing, Japanese dailies said on Wednesday.
The central government will soon sign a contract to buy the islands claimed by both countries, known in Japan as Senkaku and in China as Diaoyu, for 2.05 billion yen (HK$203 million) from their Japanese landowners, the said, quoting government sources.
Deputy Chief Cabinet secretary Hiroyuki Nagahama met the landowners on Monday and struck the deal to buy three major islands in the chain, including Uotsurijima, the largest island, said.
Government officials were not immediately available to confirm the reports.
Prime Minister Yoshihiko Noda’s cabinet would soon confirm the nationalisation of the islands and allocate reserve funds for the purchase, the reported.
Noda plans to formally inform the Chinese about the move on the sidelines of the UN assembly meeting later this month, said, but a Japan-China summit has not yet been set.
The move is aimed at underscoring Japan’s control of the islands, “but China, which has opposed the nationalisation plan, will for sure step up criticism if the cabinet decides on the purchase”, the added.
