Japan will name a set of 158 remote islands in the East China Sea, which includes a cluster of five islands that are also claimed by China and Taiwan, according to local news reports, following former Japanese Prime Minister Yasuo Fukuda's meeting with Chinese President Xi Jinping during a secret visit to Beijing earlier this week.
Japan’s maritime policy department will reportedly publish the names of the 158 islands on its website later on Friday, triggering concerns about further friction between the three countries that lay claim to the disputed islands. The five disputed islands in the East China Sea belong to a cluster known as the Senkaku in Japan, or as Diaoyu in China.
The islands, which have witnessed visits from Chinese fishing vessels in recent months, are reportedly within Japan’s established maritime boundaries and will not alter them in any way, according to Associated Press.
Japan To Name 5 Disputed Islands In East China Sea; Former Japan Prime Minister Secretly Visits Beijing
