Japanese activists land, raise flags on disputed island, provoking Chinese protests - Polidicks

[url]http://www.washingtonpost.com/world/asia_pacific/japanese-activists-land-raise-flag-on-disputed-island-provoking-protest-from-china/2012/08/18/31726b20-e99f-11e1-9739-eef99c5fb285_story.html[/url] [quote=Washington Post via AP]Japanese activists swam ashore and raised flags Sunday on an island claimed by both Japan and China, fanning an escalating territorial dispute between the two Asian powers. Some 10 activists made an unauthorized landing on Uotsuri, the largest in a small archipelago known in Japan as the Senkaku Islands and in China as Diaoyu Islands. The uninhabited islands surrounded by rich fishing grounds are controlled by Japan but also claimed by China and Taiwan. China’s Foreign Ministry protested Saturday, before the visit even happened. “Any unilateral action taken by Japan on the islands is illegal and invalid,” it said in a statement issued on its website. On Sunday, China’s official Xinhua News Agency reported that hundreds of people in cities across the country had marched in protest. Days earlier, a group of 14 Hong Kong residents and mainland Chinese had traveled by boat to the islands, and some swam ashore. Japan arrested them on Wednesday for landing without authorization, and sought to quiet the regional spat by quickly deporting the group Friday. Plans for further visits by activists on both sides appear likely to further inflame the territorial tensions. The spat over long-contested territories comes as China’s ruling communist party prepares for a major leadership transition. Leaders on both sides face strong domestic pressure to defend national interests. Frictions have also flared up recently over another set of disputed islands, controlled by South Korea. South Korean President Lee Myung-bak visited the islands in the Sea of Japan, called Takeshima in Japanese and Dokdo in Korean, earlier this month. His visit was seen by many as an attempt to play up anti-Japan sentiment ahead of elections later this year. The Coast Guard did not identify by name those who landed on Uotsuri Island on Sunday. They were members of a group of ultra-conservative parliamentarians and local politicians who were visiting waters off the disputed islands over the weekend to mourn for the victims of a boat accident near there at the end of World War II. “Four days ago there was an illegal landing of Chinese people on the island — as such we need to solidly reaffirm our own territory,” said Koichi Mukoyama, a lawmaker who was among seven conservative parliamentarians aboard a boat in the flotilla of some 20 vessels that traveled to the islands. Photos from Japan’s Kyodo News Agency showed several men and a woman, in street clothes still wet from swimming ashore, brandishing the Japanese flag atop rocks on the shore of the uninhabited island. Last week’s visit by the Chinese activists raised calls by critics of Prime Minister Yoshihiko Noda’s government to take stronger action to protect the islands. Protesters in Beijing, Hong Kong and other cities praised the activists as heroes and burned Japanese flags. Japan says it has controlled the five main islands for more than 100 years. It has been trying to place four that are privately held under state ownership to bolster its territorial claim.[/quote]

[img]http://p2.trrsf.com/image/get?src=http%3A%2F%2Fimages.terra.com%2F2012%2F07%2F11%2FINTERNATIONAL-US-JAPAN-CHINA-ISLANDS.JPG&o=cf&vs=301x464&hs=619x464[/img] The island.

Looks like the Jurassic Park island. [editline]19th August 2012[/editline] omg godzilla

give it to argentina as substitute for falklands

Isn't this one of those places china "wanted back" and became interested in, after the japanese found oil and gas on them?

America should dump nuclear waste on its shores. End the whole bullshit argument

Eh, as long as there's no casualties, they can bicker all they want. For personal reasons, if I had to care I'd hope the chinese would succeed at keeping this patch of land. [QUOTE=prooboo;37309719]America should dump nuclear waste on its shores. End the whole bullshit argument[/QUOTE] America has nothing to do with anything, what are you on about.

[QUOTE=Scarabix;37309806]America has nothing to do with anything, what are you on about.[/QUOTE] US forces have been deployed to the sea of Japan, after China claimed original ownership of the island so they could have the oil. [editline]19th August 2012[/editline] Hold on... Yeah, that was Operation Flashpoint.

whats with japan and their island disputes lately first they have dispute against our dokdo island of korea now china's then again, can't we just share and try instill cooperation within vastly different cultures that's been strained in the past

[QUOTE=lolwutdude;37309863]whats with japan and their island disputes lately first they have dispute against our dokdo island of korea now china's [/QUOTE] I can't understand why the Japan has been jumping on every opportunity to gain islands "lately". That cluster of islands are closer to China and Taiwan anyway, it should be given to those two.

Now they should take the Kuril islands back

[QUOTE=smeismastger;37310185]I can't understand why the Japan has been jumping on every opportunity to gain islands "lately". That cluster of islands are closer to China and Taiwan anyway, it should be given to those two.[/QUOTE] It isn't a gain. They've [The Japanese] administered them since the late nineteenth century except during thirty years after the war when the US occupied them, before returning them in the 70s. Edit: I think Japan has a stronger claim to these Islands than The Chinese (be it ROC or PRC), but I must admit the Japanese are pushing it with the Korean islands. Since these are uninhabited it's difficult to really find a historical basis to sovereignty. Personally I find the PRC much more 'pushy' with its claims: [IMG]http://eyedrd.org/wp-content/uploads/2011/06/Chinaseamap.jpg[/IMG] [editline]19th August 2012[/editline] [QUOTE=Laserbeams;37310194]Now they should take the Kuril islands back[/QUOTE] From my understanding, the Japanese don't want all the Kurils back, but a handful of islands they claim aren't part of the chain. But that's another (long) story.

Give the islands to Belize, end of problems.

Lets all go to the island and claim it for Facepunch!

[QUOTE=Xavith;37309228]Isn't this one of those places china "wanted back" and became interested in, after the japanese found oil and gas on them?[/QUOTE] Interesting that people agrees when that's not the case. This began way back. China discovered the islands 500 years ago when the explored their coast and of course claimed that bit of land to be theirs, everything was fine. Then the during a conflict between China and Japan roughly 100 years ago Japan took control over the island. Quoting Wiki. [QUOTE] After China lost the war, both countries signed the Treaty of Shimonoseki in April 1895 that stipulated, among other things, that [B]China would cede to Japan "the island of Formosa together with all islands appertaining or belonging to said island of Formosa (Taiwan)[/B]".[8] The treaty, however, [B]was nullified after Japan lost the Second World War in 1945[/B] by the Treaty of San Francisco, which was signed between Japan and part of the Allied Powers in 1951. The document nullifies prior treaties and lays down the framework for Japan's current status of retaining a military that is purely defensive in nature.[/QUOTE] [QUOTE]There is a disagreement between the Japanese, PRC and ROC governments as to whether the islands are implied to be part of the "islands appertaining or belonging to said island of Formosa" in the Treaty of Shimonoseki.[/QUOTE] This is one of the rare cases where Taiwan and China backs each other against Japan just fyi. which in itself is quite fun.

[QUOTE=lolwutdude;37309863]whats with japan and their island disputes lately first they have dispute against our dokdo island of korea now china's then again, can't we just share and try instill cooperation within vastly different cultures that's been strained in the past[/QUOTE] You don't understand owning these islands means you control the water around here that means you can use these territories around the islands to navigate with your boat, be it a glorious chinese cargo or a japanese whale hunter boat. and of course intra-asian relations between countries being what they are you can't set foot within the other nation's territories without having them bitching at you.

[QUOTE=Swebonny;37310770]Interesting that people agrees when that's not the case. This began way back. China discovered the islands 500 years ago when the explored their coast and of course claimed that bit of land to be theirs, everything was fine. Then the during a conflict between China and Japan roughly 100 years ago Japan took control over the island. Quoting Wiki. This is one of the rare cases where Taiwan and China backs each other against Japan just fyi. which in itself is quite fun.[/QUOTE] I find it rather questionable to englobe these islands as 'appertaining or belonging to said island of Formosa'. [URL="https://maps.google.com.sg/maps?hl=en&ll=25.844393,123.560486&spn=1.319958,2.705383&t=m&z=9"]Here[/URL] they are in question, quite far out from Formosa's islands - especially considering that the Yaeyama islands are internationally recognised as integral parts of Japan's territory. They were not formally ceded in the treaty of Shimonoseki, but rather the Japanese didn't dare formally incorporate them until the victory of the first Sino-Japanese war when they knew they'd be able to 'get away' with it. Though they were considered 'no man's land' the problem was more the proximity to the Qing rather than any actual ownership. I really don't know if the Chinese claimed the islands as their own as you said they did, they were never very interested in expanding, interestingly the Europeans administered parts of Formosa before the Chinese ever did, it was only conquered by the Qing to pursue remnants of Ming loyalists.

[media]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UBMl4L0FJ7o[/media] Ring any bells? Just less shooting. :v:

[QUOTE=chumchum;37310868]I find it rather questionable to englobe these islands as 'appertaining or belonging to said island of Formosa'. [URL="https://maps.google.com.sg/maps?hl=en&ll=25.844393,123.560486&spn=1.319958,2.705383&t=m&z=9"]Here[/URL] they are in question, quite far out from Formosa's islands - especially considering that the Yaeyama islands are internationally recognised as integral parts of Japan's territory. They were not formally ceded in the treaty of Shimonoseki, but rather the Japanese didn't dare formally incorporate them until the victory of the first Sino-Japanese war when they knew they'd be able to 'get away' with it. Though they were considered 'no man's land' the problem was more the proximity to the Qing rather than any actual ownership. I really don't know if the Chinese claimed the islands as their own as you said they did, they were never very interested in expanding, interestingly the Europeans administered parts of Formosa before the Chinese ever did, it was only conquered by the Qing to pursue remnants of Ming loyalists.[/QUOTE] Yeah I shouldn't have used "claimed", I assumed they did that since they are making such a big deal over this. I mean it's just a few giant rocks in the ocean right?

[QUOTE=Swebonny;37310770] This is one of the rare cases where Taiwan and China backs each other against Japan just fyi.[/QUOTE] because they're both Chinese

[QUOTE=Best4bond;37310682]Lets all go to the island and claim it for Facepunch![/QUOTE] That would end up being worse than Reddit's island.

It does look like a nice island though. Maybe I'll go there and climb that ridge.

[QUOTE=redhaven;37313476]because they're both Chinese[/QUOTE] Taiwan is as Chinese as Australians are Australian and Americans American.

[QUOTE=redhaven;37313476]because they're both Chinese[/QUOTE] The government of China that was defeated in the Communist revolution fled to Taiwan and became later backed by the USA. Taiwan and China have deep rooted hatred for eachother because of the persecution and atrocities committed by both sides during and after the revolution war. What we call China today is thought of by some people as "stolen" from whom they consider the rightful owners (taiwan) even though the right wing government really were no saints either at any point. Edit: TL;DR: They got some serious fucking beef.

nationalism is a disease. give it to the UN and make the island (and it's waters) a giant nature reserve deemed untouchable, then it's settled.