Territorial disputes

Both Japan and China should exercise restraint

Territorial disputes between China and Japan over a group of islands in the East China Sea have reached a dangerous level amid a slew of anti-Japan demonstrations in China.

The Associated Press reported that protests spread to at least two dozen Chinese cities over the weekend; disgruntled Chinese torched a Panasonic factory and Toyota dealership in Qingdao, looted a department store in Changsha and ransacked Japanese supermarkets in several cities.

In Beijing, thousands of demonstrators gathered outside the Japanese Embassy and hurled rocks and eggs. In the southern city of Shenzhen, they clashed with riot police.

The latest protests in China are the largest ever since the two countries established diplomatic relations in 1972.

China National Radio said 1,000 Chinese fishing boats were preparing to head to waters near the disputed islands known as Diaoyu in China and Senkaku in Japan. Both countries claim the islands but Japan exercises control over them.

On Sunday, Japanese Prime Minister Yoshihiko Noda urged China to ensure the safety of Japanese people and businesses. With tensions escalating, the possibility of armed clashes is being raised. U.S. Defense Secretary Leon Panetta warned Sunday that China and other Asian countries could end up at war over territory.

The disputes over the rocky outcroppings grew more intense last week when Japan nationalized the islands. Soon after, China announced the baselines of the territorial waters of the Diaoyu Islands and sent survey vessels to the area.

The extraordinary nature of the latest conflict is that the United States could be implicated in the bilateral disputes because the Senkakus were returned to Japan in 1972 along with Okinawa after being under America’s military rule. Japan had acquired the islands from China, together with Taiwan, after winning the Sino-Japanese war in 1895. Japan claims that the islands are covered by the U.S.-Japan defense treaty.

To make matters worse, government change is in the offing in both countries, raising fears that politicians may inflame nationalistic sentiments for political gain.

Given that territorial disputes are not solvable without war, the two countries should exercise restraint and restore composure.

The lion’s share of the blame should be laid on Japan for not offering a sincere apology and compensation for its past wrongdoings. It’s shameful that Japan shows greed for land, instead of soliciting forgiveness for its forcible mobilization of wartime sexual slaves and the Nanjing massacre.

China is obliged to stop protestors from using violence against Japanese nationals and companies. The Chinese government should be reminded that the protests could morph into anti-government demonstrations at any time.

The escalation of tensions between China and Japan, the world’s No. 2 and 3 economies, will deal a fatal blow to the already-moribund global economy.

What’s needed most is for the politicians of the two countries to act responsibly. For Korea, this may be an opportune time to ensure security levels. <The Korea Times/>

news@theasian.asia