Japan officially announced the acquisition of islands disputed with China

Japan's government adopted an official resolution on the acquisition of 3 islands of Senkaku (Chinese name Diaoyu) archipelago (5 islands), from its owner Kurihara family, as RIA Novosti reports, State Secretary Osamu Fudzimura informs.
According to the Japanese media, the deal on the three islands of the archipelago- Uotsuridzima, Kitakodzima and Minamikodzima, will be made already on Tuesday, the cost of which will amount to 2.05 billion yen (US $26.8 million).
Senkaku five islands are considered to be disputable territories between Japan and China. Beijing and Tokyo cannot decide on the border between economic zones of the islands. Japan insists on holding the border in the middle of the water, while China claims to move the line to the Japanese coast. Currently, Japan rents 4 islands of the archipelago from its owner. The lease costs 24 million yen (about $314 thousand) to the country per year.
Japan claims, that it occupies the islands since 1895. Beijing, in its turn, reminds, that Diaoyu is marked as Chinese territory on the Japanese maps of 1783 and 1785.
The islands have been under the control of the United States after World War 2 and have been transferred to japan on 1972. Taiwan and continental China believe that Japan keeps the islands illegally/ Japan believes that China and Taiwan have begun applying for the islands since 1970-ies, when it became known that this region is rich in mineral resources.