Hot Spots

---

Hot Spots

09/23/2010

China vs. Japan

China severed high-level contacts with Japan because of the continued detention of a Chinese fishing boat captain. The Chinese vessel hit two Japanese patrol boats in the East China Sea on Sept. 7. Japan released 14 crewmembers but kept the captain because it suspects he deliberately hit the Japanese boats.

“If Japan acts willfully, making mistake after mistake, China will take strong countermeasures, and all the consequences will be borne by the Japanese side.”

But the tift is against the background of more aggressive steps on China’s part to claim for itself disputed islands in the South China Sea, as well as energy resources in the East China Sea.

Unfortunately, this flare-up could boil over…or Japan could release the captain and move on.

Following are two editorials from China’s Global Times, a government mouthpiece. We get the Western side of things, from all angles. Might as well see what the other side thinks.

Seldom in the past decade, unlike today, has China been surrounded by all-around conflicts and disagreements with major powers and neighboring countries on issues such as currency, maritime rights and territorial disputes.

China has been trying hard to create a favorable development environment by sticking to a peaceful diplomatic agenda. It has been trying to avoid the conflicts and collisions that come with being a rising power.

However, as China’s economy continues to grow, suspicion and wariness against it has risen to unprecedented levels. The clashes seemingly cannot be avoided.

The increase in the number of international conflicts does not mean that China’s foreign relationships have worsened as a whole, nor does it suggest that China’s rise is destined to a poor result.

On the contrary, China has long shrugged off diplomatic isolation. Increasing trade volume and the frequency of high-level official visits indicate a closer integration between China and the international community.

But it is also a reality that there are concerted efforts in the developed world to cause stress and anxious moments over China’s growth. The label of the world’s No. 2 economy has attracted too much attention – much of it negative – over China.

The change in international structure brought by China’s rise has pushed powers, including the U.S. and Japan and China’s neighboring countries as well, into running against China’s rise for their own maximum benefit.

China needs fine-tuned resolutions to solve those long-term issues. Time is with China in that it can afford to show patience to crack the hard nuts in the long run. In the process of China’s rise, many of the “China threats” advocates’ claims may also disappear.

China should also be equipped with diversified diplomatic tools, involving the government, society and individuals to tackle the risk brought on by China’s rise. The government should also create conditions to release the power of its public diplomacy.

In the future, China can expect further challenges and provocations from various players around the world, and as a result more clashes will follow.

China will not actively seek confrontation, but it will also not be afraid of conflicts thrust upon it.

The Chinese foreign ministry released countermeasures against Japan Sunday. It was reported that Japan would continue the illegal detention of the Chinese captain, and perhaps Japan’s revanche (sic) will follow.

China should have ready a series of further diplomatic sanctions against Japan.

Detention of the Chinese captain whose fishing boat ran into two Japanese Coast Guard vessels near the Diaoyu Islands was a violation of the long-held practice that Japan would not board Chinese boats and detain Chinese nationals in the area.

Japan is now trying to display a hard-line policy to gain the upper hand. The objective of China’s countermeasures should be aimed at forcing Japan back to the original practice. The political policy of “being hard toward China” will come with a heavy price tag. China can and must stop Japan’s aggression before the incident escalates.

The Chinese public should be aware of certain advantages in China’s position.

First, China has a moral advantage when the Japanese government illegally holds an innocent Chinese fisherman.

Second, the Chinese government has the public’s support on the mainland, Taiwan and Hong Kong over the Diaoyu Islands conflict. The U.S. is unlikely to get involved as long as the conflict does not escalate into a hostile military clash.

In addition, Japan will have a difficult road attempting to win backing in territorial disputes in Northeast Asia where it also is in dispute with Russia and South Korea over contested islands.

Third, if a series of countermeasures ensue between China and Japan, it will be Japan that ends up the loser since China does not depend on Japan’s economy as much as Japan depends on China’s. The advantage of Japan’s technology can also be offset by China’s market size.

Fourth, China’s strength is rising while Japan’s is declining, which creates a different morale.

The orderly protests Saturday across China marking the 70th anniversary of the Japanese invasion of China demonstrated that the Chinese public has adopted a rational attitude against Japan. While the previous controversy over former Japanese Prime Minister Koizumi’s visits to the Yasukuni Shrine revealed the divisions within Japan toward China.

Preventing Japan’s risky move can set a precedent as China is dealing with more complicated foreign relationships. China does not demand more, but it will not surrender on principle.

A clear action from China will help reduce misjudgment of other countries when dealing with future conflicts.

---