marieclaire comments

Cleo,

Distance may not be the determinative factor in a territorial dispute, but it is an important one. None of us would want a neighbor whose main house is miles away to assert a claim against a piece of soil right under the window of our bedroom. It's kind of common sense. I find it interesting that you do not mention the Kuril Islands dispute between japan and Russia. In that case, Japan's position is more analogous to China, and Russia's position is more analogous to Japan.

As for oil reserves, it's probably an important factor, but not likely the most important one. As I mentioned, China would most likely be concerned about a geopolitical (from a military standpoint) encirclement of the East China Sea by Japan.

I am visiting China right now. The Chinese people do not trust Japan. Chinese government propaganda play a role. But more importantly, it's because Japan is not contrite about what it did to China and its people during WWII. The rhetoric of the likes of Ishihara and Japanese politicians' visits to Yasukuni certainly do not help. From other Asian countries' standpoint, If a convict does not agree what it did was wrong and is not remorseful, what is to say it won't commit the same offense again? Japan was a nice country with nice people pre-WWII, and look what happened...

Cleo,

I do not know who the Senkakus belong to, but the Falklands, American Samoas and Hawaii are not the proper comparisons. These are not territories that are in dispute between close neighbors. These were acquired by UK/US during periods of military expansion in far out territories, i.e. they were conquered and physically settled. If the American Samoas had been right off the coast of Mexico and the dispute is between US/Mexico, or that the Falklands are right off the coast of France and the dispute is between UK/France, they might be more proper analogies.

The closest analogies I can think of are the Dokdo Island and Gibraltar. Note Spain is making an increasingly assertive claim on Gibraltar as evident by the Queen of Spain's absence at Queen Elizabeth's Diamond Jubilee dinner.

Again, I have not read enough to say the Senkakus definitely belong to Japan or China or Taiwan. But if you put your self in China's shoes, you too would probably make a claim on the Senkakus simply on strategic grounds.

Many Japanese (especially the likes of Ishihara) have shown little contrition for its atrocities during WWII. Would you want a country that has invaded you and inflicted horrors and that does feel too bad about its past to be so close to you? Maybe another spring board for their Greater East Asia Co-prosperity Sphere?

Even if China kicks out the communist government and replaces it with the most benign/democratic government in the world, it'll likely make a claim on the Senkakus simply because they are so close to China's most populated coastal areas and they would complete Japan's encirclement of the East China Sea.