Noda clutching at straws

Dispelling speculation that he might be removed from his post because of his outspoken opposition to Shintaro Ishihara's farce of "purchasing" the Diaoyu Islands, Japanese Ambassador to China Uichiro Niwa returned to Beijing on Monday, following his trip to Tokyo on Sunday to report on the current state of Sino-Japanese relations.

His trip shows the parlous state of the relationship since the troublemaking right-wing Tokyo governor announced his proposal to "purchase" the Diaoyu Islands in April.

Unfortunately, Japan's domestic woes mean Ishihara's ridiculous scheme of transferring the "ownership" of the islands has picked up a head of steam. The Japanese government has conveyed its intention of "nationalizing" the main Diaoyu Island and two affiliated islands and claims it has already begun negotiations with the "private owners". Japanese Prime Minister Yoshihiko Noda said on July 10 that the "nationalization" of the Diaoyu Islands could take place as early as September.