A Chinese woman triggered a stir across social media after revealing her purchase of a deserted island in Japan's Okinawa prefecture. While some netizens expressed envy, others dubbed the move "an expansion of Chinese territory," Japan Times reported. 

According to the report, the anonymous woman in her 30s told Chinese media that a company run by her relative had bought Yanaha Island, located north of the Okinawa main island.

Public records indicate that parts of the island have been owned by a Tokyo-based consulting firm that specializes in Chinese businesses since February 2021. The office of Izena village in Okinawa, which oversees the island, said the company owns about 50% of the total land, with its beaches mostly held by the local government. 

Furthermore, a social media clip shows a document addressed to the consulting firm, which claims on its website to have acquired Yanaha Island. It is pertinent to note that the ownership of Yanaha Island has changed hands several times, Japan Times reported citing public records and sources familiar with the matter.

In China, where individuals cannot own land, social media users expressed envy and praised her move, with some even calling for the purchase of the Tokyo-controlled Senkaku Islands in the East China Sea, claimed by Beijing, where they are called the Diaoyu.

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