FILE PHOTO: A view from the Tokyo city government鈥檚 survey ship of a group of disputed islands known as Senkaku in Japan and Diaoyu in China in the East China Sea September 2, 2012.REUTERS/Chris Meyers
TOKYO 鈥� The Japanese government is looking into conducting research on the natural environment of East China Sea islets claimed by China, using images captured by satellites, the top government spokesman said.
Japan鈥檚 ties with China have long been plagued by a territorial row over the uninhabited, Tokyo-controlled islands, called the Senkaku in Japan and Diaoyu in China.
鈥淭he Environment Ministry is considering conducting research into the natural environment of the Senkaku islands as early as by the end of the year,鈥� Chief Cabinet Secretary Katsunobu Kato told a regular news conference.
鈥淭hat will be part of the ministry鈥檚 nationwide research 鈥� and will be carried out using the latest satellite images.鈥�