BEIJING: Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao said Monday that Beijing would "never yield an inch" in its territorial dispute with Japan over a group of islands, after Tokyo said it was going to purchase the territory.

"The Diaoyu Islands are an inherent part of China's territory. On issues concerning sovereignty and territory, the Chinese government and people will never ever yield an inch," the official Xinhua news agency quoted Wen as saying.

Wen was speaking after Japan announced it will nationalise the group of islands known as Senkaku in Japanese as Tokyo tries both to appease nationalists and keep Beijing onside.

Following the announcement Beijing summoned Japan's ambassador to China to express "strong protest" over the move, China's foreign ministry said in a statement.

In a deal reported to be worth 2.05 billion yen ($26 million) Premier Yoshihiko Noda's administration agreed to buy three islands it already administers, which China claims as its own.

"During the ministerial meeting today, we agreed that we will obtain the ownership of the three Senkaku islands as quickly as possible," Chief Cabinet Secretary Osamu Fujimura told reporters.

The decision to purchase the islands, which will be formally owned by Japan's Coast Guard, was aimed at their "quiet and stable maintenance", he added.

Noda has been somewhat bounced into the deal by Shintaro Ishihara, the outspoken right wing governor of Tokyo, who said he wanted them developed to protect Japanese sovereignty.

China has repeatedly reiterated its sovereignty over the islands since reports emerged that the Japanese government was going to buy the chain from their private landowners. - AFP

• Travel Picks: Top 10 golf resorts around the world
• Chinese premier criticizes EU move on trade measures
• Justice Department opposes AMR's $20 million severance for CEO Horton
• News Corp to take charge of up to $1.4 billion this quarter
• Wall Street Week Ahead: Investors look for signs in the rally's break
• Unhappy with how your fave series is faring? Amazon gives you a say
• Visa, Mastercard ask U.S. court to declare card fees are lawful
• Wall Street posts first weekly loss since mid-April on Fed angst
• IMF's Lagarde escapes formal investigation in court
• Politics of development pays dividend
• A thematic play seen
• Sarawak counters hogging the limelight
• Getting GST acceptance will be tough
• A yen for the unloved dollar standard
• Bitten by the music bug

• French soldier stabbed on patrol in Paris
• Thousands run final mile of Boston Marathon as memorial
• Trio arrested over London soldier murder

• Pandelela-Mun Yee and Yan Yee-Jun Hoong bag bronze medals in Mexico
• World No. 1 Nicol sinks Waters to reach British Open final
• China confident of sweeping aside their final opponents
• Koreans in the final despite Dong-keun’s loss
• Macdonald and Marques share the lead
• McIlroy among big names who miss the cut as Molinari leads
• Kuchar leads in weather-hit second round
• Two tied at the top as rain stops play in the Bahamas
• Nico Rosberg revels in the rain as Mercedes stamp their mark
• Whitmarsh: McLaren’s hopes were too high this season
• Affendi brushes off hand injury to win CP130 race in Terengganu
• Hafizh needs to step up a gear after coming in fifth
• Vignesa right on track to retain GT Open title
• Dragons’ Melton confident of getting the better of Pringle in Game 2
• Indiana bounce back against Miami to level series

• Please wait.

• DAP’s Ngeh in hot water over subservient tweet
• ‘Harry Potter Wong’ casts his spell
• Rela man in coma after being rammed by biker
• It takes nearly 72 hours to get a new polycarbonate passport now
• Give birth naturally, women urged
• King launches ‘Colours of 1Malaysia’ at Dataran Merdeka
• Too blessed to be stressed
• Tribal violence on campus
• Punching their way to fitness
• Graduating is not the end Talking points