The nationalist governor of Tokyo has announced plans for the city to buy islands at the heart of a bitter sovereignty dispute between Japan and China, a gambit sure to fuel simmering territorial tensions between East Asia’s leading powers.
The plan to buy three islands in the Senkaku group, known in China as Diaoyus, from their Japanese private owner throws into doubt long-standing efforts by Japan’s national government to avoid diplomatic friction by denying access to the islands to rightwing groups.
Japan’s central government has rented the islands from their private owner since 2002, an arrangement challenged on Monday by Shintaro Ishihara, Tokyo governor, during a visit to the US.