Japan considers bringing island dispute to the United Nations

Japanese Prime Minister Yoshihiko Noda may bring up the island dispute with China in his speech at the United Nations General Assembly in New York later this month.

World leaders will gather at the United Nations headquarters next Tuesday to talk about the rule of law.

Japan's Jiji news agency quoted Foreign Minister Koichiro Gemba as saying that Mr. Noda is expected to announce that Japan will act on the island sovereignty dispute in accordance with international law, after Japanese companies in China were attacked during protests last week.

The Japanese government is also considering how to resolve the Takeshima/Dokdo island dispute with South Korea.

Anticipating angry reactions from China and South Korea if Japan brings the islands issue to the United Nations, the Japanese government is weighing the pros and cons of whether to mention the disputes by name.

Chinese coast guard ships near the Diaoyu/Senkaku Islands. Photo: Kyodo.

Meanwhile, yesterday afternoon, Japanese forces observed 10 Chinese ships in the waters around the disputed Senkaku/Diaoyu Islands, according to the Japan Times. Since Tuesday, a total of 16 Chinese ships, including 10 coast guard and 6 fishery administration vessels, have been circling the waters of the islands that Japan de facto controls.

Japanese police and coast guard vessels were put on high alert due to the presence of Chinese vessels. Yesterday, a Japanese newspaper and several Chinese newspapers reported the presence of Chinese naval vessels in the area, but did not cite specific sources.

The Japanese government has asked Beijing to compensate for damage caused by protesters to Tokyo's diplomatic facilities in China. Damage to Japanese businesses caused by vandalism will be considered based on local laws.

According to VnExpress - DT