Japan steps up claim to disputed islands
11 February 2005
The Japanese government said it took control of a lighthouse on an island in the East China Sea claimed by mainland China and Taiwan. The island is the largest of a group known in Japan as the Senkaku islands, or the Dioayu in China. The 5.6m lighthouse was built by Japanese nationalists in 1988 as a symbol of Japan's claim to the islands. Tokyo said it was taking over management of the structure after the group said they would no longer provide up-keep. The move follows escalating tensions between China and Japan.