Japan and China are in a war of words over who owns a chain off islands in the East China Sea, and leaders from both countries say they will not compromise. Taiwan has launched its own claim to the islands but of greater concern is China's, whose officials have reportedly hinted that they are ready to go to war over it. However, the confrontations at sea so far involved coast guard ships employing blocking manoeuvres and shooting water cannons. Japan administers the uninhabited, but strategically well-positioned archipelago under the name Senkaku. Beijing says it has owned the islands for centuries and calls them the Diaoyu islands. The Senkaku/Diaoyu chain is made up of five islands, along with some 70 smaller rocky outcrops. The area is also suspected to be rich in oil and gas deposits.
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