Tokyo: Japanese lawmakers pushing for a tougher stance in a dispute with China over several uninhabited islands said today the country should allow a team of experts to travel there to study development possibilities and environmental issues.
The proposal is the latest in a series of moves by some influential Japanese to push their country’s claims to the islands, which are called Senkaku in Japanese and Diaoyu in Chinese. If carried out, it would likely heighten tensions with Beijing.
The idea was debated in a parliamentary hearing one day after an unofficial “fishing” trip to waters off the islands by a half-dozen national lawmakers. China has in the past warned Japan not to allow visits to the islands, which it claims are part of its sovereign territory. Taiwan also claims the islands. No decision was made at the hearing, but several speakers expressed support for an onsite study.
Surrounded by rich fishing grounds, the islands are a flash point in diplomatic relations between Japan and China. (AP)
