Japan 'will buy disputed islands'

The Japanese government has agreed to buy several privately owned islands in the East China Sea that are controlled by Japan but also claimed by China, media reports said.

The government has agreed to buy three of the five main islands, called Senkaku in Japanese and Diaoyu in Chinese, from the Kurihara family for 2.05bn yen (€20.8m), Kyodo News agency and the Yomiuri and Asahi newspapers reported, citing anonymous sources.