jagariko312 comments

In real terms, what do those islands really mean for either country? Japan already has Ishigaki. Adding that extra little bit doesn't improve their economics much - as in sea bed drilling rights.

For China, if they get it. What does that mean? Just a bunch of small rocks with Japanese and Chinese staring at each other and lobbing rotten tomatoes across the way with catapults everyday?

Is this dispute worth real money? Or significance? If they were out in the middle of nowhere I'd understand it would mean a claim to a fresh area and expansion of the economic zone.. but... in this case..

@Cleo - whoa, thanks, I stand corrected. I thought Ishigaki was part of the Senkaku islands from a macro view on google map. I didn't zoom in to see that..

Hmm, now that makes it very interesting doesn't it?! On tv they keep showing the islands by themselves... they never show it being just next to an equally large Japanese owned island!

Well you know... the "small fry" in China are venting their frustrations on the wrong group. Don't get pissed at Mr. Suzuki sitting at the table on the left. Take a glance at Mr.Wang on the right with 2 hot chicks, a rolex, and a delicious peking duck dinner course, while you're having the cheap wonton noodles and a glass of water.

China is smart. Japan, by their own actions - buying the senkakus - have created a perfect scape goat. Now instead of that massive "Chinese Spring" wanting to kick the CHinese government's ass and all the rich class, who probably got their way to the top shadily, now they forget that they are being screwed by their own people and focus on Japan.

Proven formula. Bush did it. Every political leader knows it. Bad economy? Blame the Arabs, the Chinese, the Koreans...

@Onniyama - Dog has a point. Plus, the Japanese didn't "bring factories & jobs" to China out of goodwill anyways. They did it for their own self-interests - high skill level in manufacturing outside of Japan and lower cost of labor. Without China/SE Asia, many international companies would not still enjoy the profits they still do.

Of course the Chinese, didn't "take 25% of Japan's exports" to help them out either. But what this whole thing says is business and politics are two different things.

On a side, it's not even all about Chinese vs Japanese. Even within China, HK Chinese and Taiwanese can't stand the red card waving Mainland Chinese.

Well, if you look at a map, you can see why Taiwan and China believe the islands are theirs. They are physically just a ways off the coast of Taiwan. The islands are clearly closer to Taiwan than they are to the Okinawan islands.

If you assume everyone is confused regarding any agreements or historical ownership, the physical proximity makes a strong case in Chinese minds that they should belong to Taiwan/China.

Even if there were an agreement, the Chinese would believe the Japanese stole them in the war anyways... which is an open sore.

According to police, the girl was skateboarding behind the bus and ran into it when it stopped at a pedestrian crossing at around 11:30 a.m. on Sunday.

Poor girl and awful accident but it doesn't seem completely to be the driver's fault. Police seem to arrest first then determine fault or not. The articles says she was "behind the bus." The bus stopped at the crossing... it doesn't say the bus hit the girl at the crossing. The girl then ran into the bus when it stopped.

It was just an unfortunate accident.

Moderator: The story has been updated.