DHARAMSHALA, September 12: China’s threats and warring words against Japan saw no signs of mellowing down on Wednesday as the world’s second and third largest economies continued to lock horns over a group of uninhabited islets.
Regional tensions gave way to global concern on Tuesday when China dispatched two patrol ships to “assert its sovereignty” over the islets, known in China as Diaoyu and in Japan as Senkaku. The islands lie near strategic shipping and fishing grounds that are also thought to hold oil and gas deposits.
The official Xinhua news agency yesterday reported that the two marine surveillance ships had reached the waters around the islands and would “take actions pending the development of the situation.”
China’s offensive posturing came as the Japanese government announced it had signed a contract to purchase three of the islands from their private Japanese owner for $26 million.
Japan’s Chief Cabinet Secretary Osamu Fujimura immediately sought to clear the air told reporters that the purchase “should cause no problem for Japan’s ties with other countries and regions.”
“We have absolutely no desire for any repercussions as far as Japan-China relations are concerned. It is important that we avoid misunderstanding and unforeseen problems,” he told reporters.
Japan further said it is buying the islands to promote stable and peaceful management. Japan says it has controlled the islands since 1895 until its surrender at the end of World War II. The islands were controlled by the US from 1945 to 1972 and subsequently returned to Japan’s control. China claims the islands’ discovery and control since the 14th century.
However, Beijing summoned the Japanese ambassador and lodged a strong protest over Tokyo’s move, threatening counter-measures.
While Chinese President Hu Jintao called the purchase “illegal,” Premier Wen Jiabao said the islands were “an inherent part of China’s territory” and vowed his country would “never ever yield an inch” on its sovereignty.
Chinese Defense Ministry spokesman Geng Yansheng in a statement said the “determination and the will of the Chinese government and military to safeguard their territorial integrity are firm.”
“We are closely monitoring the development of the situation and reserve the right to take necessary measures,” he said.
China’s state-run media has been on the offensive, threatening and chiding Japan for their “most blatant attack on China’s sovereignty.”
The official Global Times’ bilingual editorial said Japan’s control over the islands was “not that defensible.”
“China’s maritime power should be reflected in the waters around Diaoyu. The confrontation with Japan will be a long-term one.”
People’s Liberation Army Daily, the flagship newspaper of China’s armed forces, in an article said that Japan was playing with fire and called Japan’s move “the most blatant challenge to China’s sovereignty since the end of World War II.”
The Japanese government’s attempt by the so-called “nationalisation” is doomed to fail and would never be accepted by the Chinese people, the article said.
“The Chinese government and the Chinese people will absolutely make no concession on territorial sovereignty,” it said.
“Should the Japanese side insist on going its own way, it would have to bear all serious consequences that arise,” the article warned.
