According to a report by the Nihon Keizai Shimbun, the Japanese government is planning to use about 2 billion yen (about 160 million yuan) to buy the Diaoyu Islands in the middle of September. Just a few days ago, the Japanese government sent China a letter personally written by the Japanese Prime Minister Yoshihiko Noda in order to alleviate the tension between China and Japan caused by the Diaoyu Islands issue.
Japan's attitude changed so sharply that China has to express its stance solemnly. What is more dramatic is that the governor of Tokyo Ishihara Shintaro, who was the first one proposing to "buy the Diaoyu Islands," at first opposed but then suddenly agreed to the plan of "nationalizing the Diaoyu Islands."
Ugly performance of competing to "buy the Diaoyu Islands"
According to a report by Kyodo News, the government of Tokyo started to play an "edge ball" game after its application of landing on the islands was refused twice by the central government of Japan. On Sept. 2, a survey group of Tokyo carried out a survey on waters around the Diaoyu Islands and published the survey report. Only three days later, the "landowner" of the Diaoyu Islands (known as the "Senkaku Islands" in Japan) had agreed to sell the islands to the Japanese government.
Since the Noda administration proposed to "nationalize" the islands on Sept. 3, it has been busy negotiating with the so-called "landowner" of the Diaoyu Islands. If the negotiation goes smoothly, Japan plans to decide the guideline on "nationalizing" the Diaoyu Islands on Sept. 11 when a relevant conference of the cabinet ministers will be held. After deciding it, the cabinet will officially sign the "purchase contract" with the "landowner."
Interests are the first reason behind performance of "buying the islands"
Since the governor of Tokyo Ishihara Shintaro made the speech of "buying the islands" in the United States in April, he has made a series of moves, including collecting donations nationwide and trying to land the islands. It seems that he is firmly determined to "buy the islands."
