Japan's government has agreed to buy islands at the centre of a territorial row with China, reports said Wednesday, as it tries to both placate nationalists and prevent ties with Beijing deteriorating further.
Prime Minister Yoshihiko Noda has been pushed into the deal after a canny move by the right-wing governor of Tokyo who said he wanted to purchase them to protect them from Chinese claims of ownership.
Beijing's response to the reports was muted, with a foreign ministry spokesman saying China was monitoring the situation and would "take necessary measures to defend its national territorial sovereignty". Full story
