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Who has the better claim to the disputed isles controlled by Japan as the Senkakus but claimed by China as the Diaoyus?
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cleo
Camp Humphreys has some 28,000troops, making it the largest US base in Asia, but Okinawa has over 30,000 troops stationed in a number of bases throughout the prefecture, making it the largest US presence in Asia.
CaptDingleheimer
I think this poll settles it.
Let's get it into a PowerPoint, get it notarized, and get a custom critical parcel service to overnight it to the Chinese Embassy in Tokyo.
Michael Jun Sung Shim
"The Senkakus are Japanese, part of Okinawa Prefecture. Which happens to be home to the largest US military presence in Asia"
Wrong-FYI the biggest U.S.military base in the world outside of the USA is Camp Humphreys in Korea. Thank You.
smithinjapan
I'd say Japan, for the same reason Dokdo belong to South Korea, and the Kuriles to Russia.
Tokyo-Engr
Honest answer: I do not know. I suppose it depends on whose version of history you read.
Aly Rustom
Japan of course. And if the Chinese think they can take them by force, they got another thing coming.
ThonTaddeo
@Cleo - Yonaguni is actually closer still. Even then, it's clearly Okinawa, not Taiwan, and definitely not the PRC.
Fighto!
The Senkaku Chain is inalienable Japanese land. No need for a poll. Not Taiwans, not Commie Chinas...Japans only.
Just you try and take the islands, PRC, see what happens...
Lazarus Knows
Me, I do. They're my islands. My name is Mr. Senkaku Diaoyu III. Give them back.
Ricky Sanchez
Correct answer: The United States of America! Let them have it. They will settle the score.
Jtsnose
The history of the islands according to Wikipedia,
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Senkaku_Islands
Bjorn Tomention
Build a wall on !
Keep the invaders out !
japanamericaawesome
theFU
I agree with you strongly, I am Japanese and I know what is going on, but our government is not doing enough to protect our territory. That is why those Chinese bullies find us very good target. Our government should do more things to appeal that Senkaku and other islands that the foreign countries are claiming of their lands.
And China, you are a big bully. They won't dare try to claim American islands as their territories since they know that they will be in a great trouble.
And to those people who think that Taiwan is closer to Senkakus than Japan, you are wrong.
gaijinkurd
The Diaoyus will be taken within the next 6 years without ever firing a shot with China flagged fishing vessels just like what you are now seeing with the 200 ships at the Philippines owned Whitsun Reef . They will swarm and land on the Diaoyus and declare it Chinese and keep a contingent of Chinese there. The US administration will not want to risk conflict over it and Japan is too weak to do anything alone. Then afterwards it will be forgotten until the day they take back Taiwan which will be swift and decisive with the Diaoyus under Chinese control.
Boku Dayo
I say Japan. Also, the PRC would use the islands as a stepping stone for their navy to gain full access to the Pacific Ocean. They'd also strip the surrounding waters of all valuable natural resources.
Toshihiro
Agree with Kyle. If China does get legitimate rights to the Senkakus, it won't stop them from claiming other islands closer to Japan, and before you know it, you might have Chinese military forces regularly operating near Kumamoto Prefecture, similar to what happened to the reefs in the South China Sea that are recognized as Philippine territory. Considering how hawkish the LDP is, I doubt this will happen. But the good thing is the US is present in Okinawa and Japan won't hesitate to push back when pushed.
Kyle Bluestone
China wants everything and must be stopped and put in their place!!
theFu
Japan will need to be much more forceful and lead in any violence or other actions. Does anyone REALLY think the US will kill people and break CCP-Chinese things over Senkakus alone?
CCP-Chinese have the least claim to those islands. Taiwan and Japan are about the same distance.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Senkaku_Diaoyu_Tiaoyu_Islands.png
If Japan wants to keep them, PUT PEOPLE AND THINGS on the islands and start development for whatever natural resources are nearby. The Japanese Coast Guard should be patrolling always too.
Radovan Stojanović
Distance to island doesn't matter. Considering Japan's economic power, it's best for island(s) to stay under Japanese control. China is a communist country, and it will use island to control east Asia in most gruesome way.
OssanAmerica
The Senkakus are Japanese, part of Okinawa Prefecture. Which happens to be home to the largest US military presence in Asia. So China can try to take the Senkakus if they are prepared for a shootout with the United States. Didn't think so.
The Senkakus are closer to Japan than Taiwan or China. China never made a claim to them until 1970 when they usurped Taiwan's fishing rights claim, whi has been settled between Taiwan and Japan. China's claim is strategic, to break the first island chain. Ain't gonna happen, the whole world is fed up with this Dictatorship.
Mr Kipling
Taiwan seems closer so Taiwan..? So as Taiwan is Chinese you mean CHINA!
Problem solved!
Hito Bito
"Japan has possession of the Ishigakis"
-opps. Well yes, they do, but they also have possession of the Senkaku Islands, which was my intention...
Hito Bito
Fortunately or unfortunately, depending on your perspective, it really is a case of "Possession is 9/10ths of the Law."
All these island disputes will not be "settled", but rather "status-quoed" based on who is already there and can continue to maintain possession. Japan has possession of the Ishigakis, and will continue to do so, while Russia will keep the Kurills and the Koreans will keep the Takeshima/Dokudo/Liancourt "Rocks" because they are there and also, already have a tight grip on these respective territorial claims.
cleo
Japan (Ishigaki Island) is way closer than either Taiwan or China.
Garthgoyle
Taiwan seems closer so yeah, Taiwan.
rainyday
There is literally zero evidence that anyone from China has ever even set foot on one of the islands.
Sven Asai
Nothing to claim or dispute, as these islands are Japanese territory.
noriahojanen
China's claim was taking form more recently in around the late 1970s prior to which the islands had been even inhabited by Japanese locals.
Another tricky point in the PRC version of story is that the islands belong to Taiwan which is part of China. So to dare make an order of claimant legitimacy, Japan, followed by Taiwan, and China in the bottom.
Antiquesaving
Simply put Japan/Okinawa!
China's claims are like all their other claims like those in the South China Sea based on nothing!
China never had any control no presence and uses supposed maps made centuries ago by some supposed Imperial map maker that sailed around going this is ours that is ours we saw it first.
These maps have no coordinates no one ever disembarked nothing.
If this method was acceptable we would have to redraw nearly every map, waterway, country in the world based on one country or another's millenium old maps.
China's goal here is simple control the shipping lanes.
If China was to get its way it would in effect control all shipping coming from the Indian ocean through the strait of Malacca heading towards Japan and the Americas.
China could effectively block Indonesia, Malaysia, Thailand, Vietnam, Philippines, etc...from exporting goods to Japan, South Korea, and the Americas
Wakarimasen
Give them independence
theFu
Taiwan.