Japan must act responsibly

The friction between China and Japan over the Diaoyu Islands is growing with Japan intensifying its efforts to challenge China's sovereignty over the islands.

In an NHK program on Sunday, Japanese Prime Minister Yoshihiko Noda reasserted that the Japanese Coast Guard will be allowed to make arrests on 19 offshore islands.

While the two island groups that are the source of disputes with Russia and South Korea - the four islands held by Russia off Hokkaido and the two islets in the Sea of Japan held by South Korea - are not included on this list, the Diaoyu Islands are.