Why Japan Should Ignore China’s Okinawa Provocation
thediplomat.com
Snips from the article:
By now the narrative is familiar: China, brandishing a sheaf of faded maps and records, questions the basis of Japan’s authority over islands in the East China Sea.
Just last week, however, Beijing opened up a new front in the dispute. On Wednesday, China’s leading state-run newspaper, thePeople’s Daily, ran a piece questioning the status of Okinawa, home to 1.4 million Japanese citizens as well as 25,000 U.S. troops. Its authors, two scholars at a government-backed think tank, surveyed the history of the Ryukyu Islands, of which Okinawa is easily the most important, and concluded that the legitimacy of Japan’s rule over the chain is “unresolved.”
With even Chinese netizens mocking the People’s Daily for overreaching, Japan has nothing to gain from becoming ensnared in a debate over Okinawa. By refusing to be goaded, Tokyo can deny China the leverage it seeks – and watch as Beijing suffers the consequences of its own provocation.
China's political calculations - from the Global Times:
The Ryukyu issue can be reinitiated through three steps. The first is to open up public discussion and studies of the Ryukyu issue, including allowing the founding of related research organizations. Authorities should not directly participate in these activities, but should not oppose them either.
The second, based on Japan's attitude toward China, is for Beijing to decide when to bring up the Ryukyu issue in the international arena. This can be played as a powerful card when necessary.
Finally, if Japan seeks to be a pioneer in sabotaging China's rise, China can carry out practical input, fostering forces in Okinawa that seek the restoration of the independence of the Ryukyu Chain. If Japan, binding itself with the US, tries to threaten China's future, China should impose threats on the country's integrity. This is a fair game.
globaltimes.cn |
