石原慎太郎将辞去东京都知事一职

Tokyo Gov. Shintaro Ishihara, who triggered the current diplomatic standoff between Japan and China over their territorial dispute, announced he intends to step down to return to national politics.

东京都知事石原慎太郎(Shintaro Ishihara)宣布，他打算辞去东京都知事一职，并重新回归日本国内政治。正是石原慎太郎引发了中日之间当前因领土争端陷入的外交僵局。

'I will submit my resignation today,' he told reporters at a press conference Thursday.

石原慎太郎在周四召开的一场资讯发布会上对记者表示，将于今日提交辞呈。

Mr. Ishihara added that he will return to national politics, and create a new party with 'like-minded' individuals.

石原慎太郎说，他将重返国会，和“志同道合者组建一个新的政党。

Mr. Ishihara's surprise declaration in April that the Tokyo government would purchase a group of disputed islands─called Senkaku in Japan and Diaoyu in China─from private Japanese owners is widely seen as the catalyst behind the central government's decision to step in and buy and nationalize the islands.

石原慎太郎今年4月曾做出令人意外的声明，称东京都政府将从日本私人岛主手中买下一系列争议岛屿。日本称这一系列争议岛屿为尖阁列岛(Senkaku)，中国称钓鱼岛。外界普遍认为这一声明是日本政府决定插手购买并对这些小岛实施国有化方案的诱因。