Japan steps up aggression over China: Will name disputed islands

Japan said Friday that it will name five uninhabited islands as part of a group in the East China Sea, a move likely to spark anger from other claimants China and Taiwan. They are among the 158 uninhabited islands to be named Friday as Japan steps up protection and claims over border islands and waters around them. [caption id=“attachment_1644689” align=“alignleft” width=“380”]  Japan has said that it will name the disputed islands: AP[/caption] The government’s maritime policy department said it will publish a list of all the names on its website later Friday. The five islands are part of the Senkaku, or Diaoyu, island group in the East China Sea, also claimed by China and Taiwan, and a regional flashpoint. The names will be used for new maps. The islets are within Japan’s established exclusive economic zone and will not change maritime boundaries. The disputed East China Sea islands are surrounded by rich fishing grounds. Chinese coastguard and fishing boats have recently more frequently approached the area, sometimes violating Japan’s territorial waters, especially since Japan’s previous government nationalized the main Senkaku islands in 2012. Ties between Japan and China have worsened in recent years over the island dispute, a contested gas field in the East China Sea and lingering animosity over Japan’s World War II-era actions in China. Associated Press