Tokyo's islands stance harmful to ties

Japanese politicians aim to win more seats by stirring up dispute

Tokyo's sensationalizing of the Diaoyu Islands issue will stir up nationalism within the country and help more right-wing politicians win seats in parliament, which will inevitably cast a long-term shadow over China-Japan ties, analysts warned.

The analysts made the remarks as the local government and cabinet are weighing plans to "buy" or "nationalize" the Diaoyu Islands, which have stood under Chinese sovereignty since ancient times.