By Yang Zhen
On January 27, the Japanese fishing boat Tsurumaru and several patrol vessels illegally entered the territorial waters of the Diaoyu Dao, and Chinese coast guard ships lawfully took necessary measures to control and warn them to leave.
The Diaoyu Dao dispute between China and Japan stems from Japan's encroachment on Chinese territory. Diaoyu Dao and its affliated islands have been an integral part of China's territory since ancient times. China's sovereignty over the Diaoyu Dao has a sufficient historical and legal basis. However, Japan ignores a significant number of historical facts and claims the Diaoyu Dao as its "inherent territory." In 1979, Japan built a heliport on the Diaoyu Dao, leading to protests and negotiations from both sides of the Taiwan Strait. In 1990, the right-wing Japanese group Nihon Seinensha built a lighthouse on the Diaoyu Dao, sparking a renewed "defend the Diaoyu Dao" movement. On July 14, 1996, Nihon Seinensha erected a new lighthouse on the Diaoyu Dao, prompting serious concerns from the Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs and strong protests from both sides of the Taiwan Strait.
After 2010, Japan significantly increased provocations around the Diaoyu Dao dispute. On September 7, 2010, a Japanese Coast Guard patrol boat collided with a Chinese trawler near the Diaoyu Dao. On January 3, 2012, three members, including Ishigaki City Councilor Hitoshi Nakama, landed on the Diaoyu Dao, and 20 minutes later, Ishigaki City Councilor Tadashi Nakamine also appeared there. Additionally, Japan declared the so-called "nationalization" of the Diaoyu Dao in the same year, severely impacting China-Japan relations.
There are many deep-rooted reasons for Japan's frequent moves regarding the Diaoyu Dao. First, Japan's hegemonic maritime security mindset comes into play. Japan aims to dominate the entire East Asian maritime region, with China being the main geopolitical player and the world's largest continental and maritime composite country. China's legitimate maritime rights are deemed by Japan a great threat, which is why Japan attempts to take an upper-hand in the East Asian maritime strategic landscape by using the Diaoyu Dao dispute.
Second, Japan intends to curb China's rise through the Diaoyu Dao issue. In Japan's narrow perception, only one power is allowed in East Asia, and that country should be Japan – a significant motivation behind former Prime Minister Shinzo Abe's proposal of the so-called Indo-Pacific strategy. The Diaoyu Dao issue was manipulated by Japan in 2010 to create obstacles in the development of bilateral relations. In 2010, China's GDP surpassed Japan's, ranking second in the world, and China's industrial output exceeded that of the US, ranking first in the world. The latter is a significant historical milestone. As a result, China has become the largest industrial country in human history and is moving towards modernization in all aspects. However, Japan is trying to interrupt China's rising process.
Third, Japan also aims to prove to the US its value in containing China. China's rise has caused concerns in the US, leading to the formulation of the Asia-Pacific rebalance strategy in 2010, targeting China directly. Japan has gained increasing influence in the US-Japan alliance. The Indo-Pacific strategy was introduced after the failure of the Asia-Pacific rebalance strategy, further enhancing Japan's influence in the US-Japan alliance. Japan has gained the US' acquiescence, connivance and support for its development of offensive military power, including F-35 fighter jets, Izumo class modified aircraft carriers and Tomahawk cruise missiles, thus possessing battle-level offensive capabilities. Meanwhile, Japan's provocation on the Diaoyu Dao issue runs through the entire process of the implementation of the above two geopolitical strategies. In another word, it is also Japan's proof of allegiance to the US.
The recent illegal entry of Japan into the territorial waters of the Diaoyu Dao took place under a crucial background. Currently, the geopolitical confrontation between the US and Russia has entered a broad and intense phase. This confrontation has intensified particularly after the outbreak of the Ukraine crisis. The Russian military gained dominance on the battlefield after the Battle of Kherson. Additionally, the new round of Palestine-Israel conflict in the Middle East that erupted on October 7 last year has objectively favored Russia. The Red Sea crisis resulting from the Palestine-Israel conflict directly challenged the foundation of the US as a maritime hegemonic power. Japan is concerned that the US will divert resources to the Middle East and Eastern Europe, and therefore, it seeks to attract US attention through provoking China on the Diaoyu Dao dispute.
Editor's note: Originally published on china.com.cn, this article is translated from Chinese into English and edited by the China Military Online. The information and opinions in this article do not necessarily reflect the views of eng.chinamil.com.cn.
