A Short Note On Senkaku Islands Dispute : The Confrontation Among China, Us And Japan

The tension between the United States and Japan all began over the differences of China back in the 1930’s. The country of Manchuria, which was then a part of China, was conquered by Japan. Instead of stopping there, Japan wanted more; they wanted all of China. So in 1940, the government of Japan made an alliance with Germany. The following year, the Japanese government took over Indochina.

Since their purchase by the Japanese government from their private owners in September 2012, the Senkaku/Diaoyu Islands have been a topic of protest and discontent in the East China Sea and its surrounding area. While current conflicts have arisen because of skirmishes with patrol boats and sightings of Chinese drones flying over the islands, disputes over sovereignty of the Senkaku/Diaoyu Islands have existed since the cession of Chinese territory in the Treaty of Shimonoseki following China’s defeat in the Sino-Japanese War. Original ownership of the islands was never officially settled between China and Japan, but after the establishment of several more international treaties in the twentieth century, jurisdiction over the islands became unclear and practically undeterminable. While conflicts were set aside during the latter half of the twentieth century in order to improve Sino-Japanese relationships, the purchase of the islands and military activity renewed tensions between the two nations. Present-day territorial disputes over the sovereignty of the Senkaku/Diaoyu Islands are a result of the multiple cessions and reversions of control in twentieth century treaty laws between China and Japan.

Once the Okinawa Reversion Treaty was signed by Japan and the Untie States, the return of the Ryukyu Islands were in full control to Japan. With the return of the islands to Japan seemed to set a better security alliance between the Untied States and Japan. As part of Okinawa the Unites States government set of boundaries for the Senkaku/ Diaoyu Islands. With Nixon as President during the time he wanted peace in the pacific. But a neutral stance by the Nixon administration was taken on their sovereignty. Nixon’s with hopes of ending the Vietnam War but his priorities with retaining bases in Okinawa and normalizing relations with the Peoples Republic of China

This confrontation between Japan and the United States impacted the battles to come in the Pacific. History has proven the island of Midway to be an important base for many operations during World War II. Had the United States lost this battle, the war may have reached a different outcome.

The attack of Pearl Harbor had significantly affected the United States as it altered the minds of those who were against the war and those who were for the war. The several issues that Japan had over the war in China gave the United States no choice but to help defend them. The U.S. had taken away the necessary resources that Japan needed in order to prevent Japan from further expanding and taking over the neighboring countries of China and the Pacific region. With the fear of the U.S. being in the way of their plans, Japan took precautions against the U.S. along with the support of their allies. Essentially, Japan’s greed and desire for having control over Southeast Asia and the Pacific region provoked a conflict that was bound to happen

The real beginning of the tension between America and Japan began during WWI. In 1915, Japan issued “Twenty-One demands” to China’s government. These demands included giving Japan control over Chinese ports, increasing Japan’s leasehold on the South Manchuria Railway Zone for 99 years, handing over rights to settle and commercialize Manchuria and Inner Mongolia, give control of the Hanyeping mining complex to Japan, barring China to give any coastal or territorial concessions to foreign powers, excluding Japan.

The relationship between Japan and the United States prior to World War II is outlined in the beginning of the chapter. Iokibe states that their relationship went through three stages, the first being fifty years of “friendship,” the second was twenty-five years of going back and forth between conflict and cooperation, and finally ten years of aggression resulting in the attack on Pearl Harbor (91). The next portion of the chapter discusses the two sides of the U.S. Occupation, being both lenient and severe. The United States occupied Japan for several years after its defeat and subjected the country to reforms that had an impact on every part of their society. However, cooperation on both sides gave way for a more lenient United States. The simply wanted to ensure that Japan would not become a threat to the security of the U.S. again, and to do so they implemented demilitarization and democratization. The Japanese, with little resistance, accepted and welcomed

During WWII, Japan was attempting to expand their territories by taking over Manchuria and many other places. The U.S., however, said that they “would refuse to recognize any territorial acquisitions that violate American treaty rights” (Bordelon). Japan didn’t listen to America’s threats and still went on to violate the Kellogg-Briand Treaty of 1928 and the Open Door Policy Pact of 1922. This caused the relationship between to grow even worse because it made the U.S. concerned that they wouldn’t be able to protect their imports of tin, rubber, and oil. In addition, Japan was continually violating treaties and taking over little islands near the United States in Hawaii. As a result, the U.S. became increasingly worried and knew they needed

Japan however claims the Senkaku Islands belong to them because it was returned to them by the U.S. in 1971, under the Okinawa reversion deal, after they renounced the claims of the Islands after WW2. The islands are disputed over the fact that it is a strategic location for trade routes, military bases, and potential oil/gas reserves.

policy “since 1972 that the 1960 U.S.-Japan Security Treaty covers the islets, because Article 5 of the treaty stipulates that the United States is bound to protect ‘the territories under the Administration of Japan’ and Japan administers the Senkakus/Diaoyu Islands” (Manyin 2013). Due to this treaty, the United States must provide security for Japan in return for the right to station U.S. troops on Japanese territory. While the original stance of the U.S. was to take no stance on sovereignty despite its obligations to defend Japan, its stance has recently shifted to pro-Japan. Backing Japan’s increased militarization, U.S. Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel is now beginning to discuss with Japan “ways to update their security pact, may help assuage concern in Tokyo that Washington will favor China as its economic power grows” (Kelly 2014). As a response to the territorial security issue between China and Japan, the U.S. chose to side with Japan.

“Rising nationalist sentiments and growing political mistrust heighten the potential for conflict and hinders the capacity for peaceful resolution of the dispute. Though Chinese and Japanese leaders have refrained from forcibly establishing control over the Senkaku/Diaoyu Islands, unauthorized action by local commanders could result in the unintended escalation of hostilities. Through treaty commitments with Japan, a military confrontation could involve the United States. To preserve relations with China and continue cooperation on various issues, the United States has an interest in de-escalating tensions.”

there were no raw materials for them to use. The country was in a mess

nationalists refuse to acknowledge the dispute, and express pride in the military aggression of the

Under the influence of US, Japan recognised ROC as the China by signing the peace treaty with ROC- Sino-Japanese Peace Treaty (中日和平條約) in 1952 (Huang, 2006). This treaty enabled Japan to escape from the war reparation to the China, both ROC and PRC (Huang, 2006). However, Japan shifted its recognition policy to PRC followed the move of US in 1972, eventually broke the peace treaty (Huang, 2006). In this early stage of diplomatic recognition, both China and Japan have avoided the sovereignty disputes over the Senkaku islands (or in Chinese, the Diaoyu islands) (He, 2007, 4). During the premiership of Zhou Enlai, both states seems to be in a friendship, together with the boost of trade and financial transaction, as China received much of the foreign aid from Japan, but it does not last long (He, 2007, 4). China and Japan does not have a good relationship, in addition to the unresolved after war

An enduring dispute over Dokdo Island has proven difficult to resolve. Japan and Korea have been having an argument over the island for sovereignty ever since 1910 (South). This island has three names, Dokdo, Takeshima, and Liancourt. Dokdo, a solitary island, is a Korean name for this island. Takeshima, a Bamboo Island, is what Japanese call it. Both Japan and South Korea uses historical facts to support their claims for the island (Profile). To what extent is the dispute between Korea and Japan an issue about resources versus history?