Editorial
Want China Times
Want China Times
Japan’s prime minister, Shinzo Abe, reviews troops at a training base in Saitama prefecture, Oct. 27. (Photo/Xinhua)
As the Third Plenary Session of the 18th CPC Central Committee approaches, the tensions between China and Japan over disputed islands in the East China Sea is intensifying.
In January this year, Japan said that it would launch tracers to deter Chinese aircraft over Japanese airspace. In September, the Japanese government threatened to shoot down any Chinese drones.
More recently, Japanese vessels were seen operating in an area where the PLA was conducting a naval exercise and refused to acknowledge this when Beijing protested.
The storm over the Japanese government’s purchase of the disputed Diaoyutai (Diaoyu or Senkaku) islands from private owners — the Kurihara family — last year has the two sides shift into battle mode. Japanese defense minister Itsunori Onodera said publicly that Sino-Japanese ties have fallen into a “gray zone.”
For Japan’s prime minister, Shinzo Abe, the dispute over the islands, known as Senkaku in Japan, Diaoyu in China and Diaoyutai in Taiwan, is no longer an issue of sovereignty but one that will affect Japan’s role and position in the Asia-Pacific region.
In late October, Abe said in an interview with US media that Japan’s contribution to the world is to lead the competition with China in the region.
Beijing first sent a verbal warning in response to Abe’s political ambitions. However, with the increasingly more provocative acts on the part of Japan, the Chinese defense ministry recently adopted harsher words, warning Japan to be prepared for the consequences of a war.
Washington also expressed concern about Japan’s behavior. Former US government officials known for their close ties to Japan such as former deputy secretary of state Richard Armitage and former assistant secretary of defense Joseph Nye asked Japan to show restraint in its words and actions in order for the conflict not to escalate.
Taiwan and Japan have a cordial relationship, but since cross-strait ties have improved the roles of China, Taiwan and Japan in relation to one another have become increasingly sensitive and complex.
No comments:
Post a Comment