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China-Japan island dispute turns into int`l propaganda war

China-Japan island dispute turns into int`l propaganda war

Posted October. 05, 2012 05:21,   

한국어

The territorial dispute between China and Japan over the Senkaku Islands (Diaoyu in China) has been escalated into an international propaganda war.

Beijing this month challenged Tokyo`s effective control over the islands by sending patrol vessels to the waters near the islands. The U.S. quietly deployed a large military contingent near the islands but claimed that the move did not target China.

The Chinese government on Tuesday ran a two-page ad in the Daily Times, an English-language daily based in Pakistan, claiming that Japan took the islands from China. Similar ads were run in major U.S. dailies such as the Washington Post and the New York Times Friday last week.

In an article contributed to the Chinese-language daily Ming Pao of Hong Kong, Liu Jiangyong, an international relations professor at the Institute of International Studies of Tsinghua University in Beijing, wrote that China would speak up about its territorial rights to the islands because it had numerous historical facts and legal grounds.

Japan is also acting aggressively vis-a-vis the dispute. According to Japan’s Kyodo News Agency, Japanese Foreign Minister Koichiro Genba said, “This incident is a war of law, a war of news. The international community should clearly understand Japan’s position." In a recent meeting with his Mongolian counterpart, Genba explained Tokyo’s position on the dispute, which was not a topic for the talks.

Kyodo reported Thursday that Chinese and Taiwanese ships again entered the connection waters (12 to 24 nautical miles from the baseline of the territorial sea) of Senkaku. According to Japanese maritime police, four Chinese patrol boats were found in the connection waters near the islands. Chinese patrol boats have been entering the waters daily this month.

The U.S. reportedly plans to send the nuclear submarine USS Olympia to the Philippine port city of Subic Bay, the site of a former U.S. Army base, after deploying two nuclear-powered aircraft carriers near the Senkaku Islands.

China’s Xinhua News Agency said the submarine will visit Subic Bay for military exchanges with the Philippines, but the visit will probably be an unpleasant event for Beijing.

U.S. Deputy Defense Secretary Ashton Carter said Wednesday that the rebalance of the U.S. military to the Asia-Pacific region is not intended to contain China, adding, “To those who have concerns, I`d say: Watch the steps.”



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