A Chinese entrepreneur has apparently upped the ante on some Japanese politicians by applying to the State Oceanic Administration (SOA) to rent the Diaoyu Islands in the East China Sea and develop them as a tourism center.
Tong Zeng, president of China Fortune Investment, posted his application letter dated on May 30 on his microblog on qq.com on Wednesday.
The move comes after Japanese Prime Minister Yoshihiko Noda recently suggested purchasing three of the five major islands from the Kurihara family, which claims to have bought those islands in the 1970s.
The Tokyo government also said it has received permission from the family to allow people to land on the islands within the week, media reports said.
Tong has applied in accordance with China's uninhabited islands protection and utilization regulations, which were issued in 2003. They state that individuals and units can apply to develop uninhabited islands that have been listed as suitable for development.
Tong's letter to the SOA said that the Diaoyu Islands feature unique flora and fauna and are a good place to establish a resort that would attract many adventure tourists.
"We applied to rent the Diaoyu Islands out of patriotism in 2003, and now we have the economic impetus and the ability to fulfill the development," said Tong, who is also the president of the Chinese Civilian Association for Safeguarding the Diaoyu Islands.
Tong said his company has set up a team with experts on laws, maritime resources, economics and tourism to make out detailed development plans for the exploration of the Diaoyu Islands.
Tong said he also has a cooperation agreement with the China Ocean Photographic Society which will carry out a series of activities on the islands.
"We even have a ship that has been provided by an entrepreneur that could quickly be turned into a cruise ship," Tong said, adding his company is also negotiating with the China National Tourism Administration to launch tourist routes to the Diaoyu Islands.
A SOA official declined to confirm the application.