Continued Calls for Peace

By Ding Ying

Continued Calls for Peace

By Ding Ying

China again implores Japan to stop violating its sovereignty and repair bilateral relations

C hina continues to fight for its sovereignty and territorial integrity through words and actions. The country’s marine surveillance fleet has expelled a number of Japanese vessels sailing illegally in waters around the Diaoyu Islands while maintaining routine patrols in the East China Sea.

Four China Marine Surveillance ships spotted Japanese Coast Guard ships and other vessels on October 29, and informed them of the Chinese Government’s stance on the Diaoyu Islands. The Japanese ships were told to immediately leave China’s territory. The fleet also monitored the ships to collect evidence of infringement on China’s sovereignty. Since m id-September, China has conducted routine patrols over the waters around the Diaoyu Islands.

A t the same time, the Chinese Foreign M inistry has clarified China’s stance on the Diaoyu Islands on numerous occasions. Chinese observers stressed that both sides should make more effort to repair weakened bilateral relations before more harm can been done.

A so lid stance

China’s position on the issue has been consistent and clear-cut. Any form of “island purchase” by Japan is illegal and invalid, and is fi rm ly opposed by China.

On October 26, Vice Foreign M inister Zhang Zhijun gave a briefing to Chinese and foreign news organizations. He stated China’s position on the Diaoyu Islands issue, urging Japan to return to peaceful negotiations. China pursues a policy of friendship and partnership with its neighboring countries and stays committed to a path of peaceful development, said Zhang. “However,” he added, “should anyone try to challenge China’s bottom line on the issue of sovereignty, we w ill have no alternative but to respond forcefully so as to remove disturbance and obstacles and move steadily on the path of peaceful development.”

Liu Jiangyong, a professor of international relations with Tsinghua University, believed that Zhang’s briefing illustrated to Japan and the world that China w ill not concede on the Diaoyu Islands issue.

“No bit of land, water and vegetation on the Diaoyu Islands can be traded away,” said Zhang, condemning Japan’s recent “purchase” of the islands. Zhang said that Japan has no right to buy or sell Chinese territory in any way and that no transaction is allowed over any part of the Diaoyu Islands. Japan’s“purchase” is a grave violation of China’s territorial sovereignty.

The Diaoyu Islands had not been an issue and their sovereignty had never been questioned until Japan illegally seized and occupied them in 1895, initiating the ongoing dispute. The islands are China’s inherent territory both historically and legally. The two sides reached an understanding and common ground on leaving the issue to later resolution while normalizing relations in 1972. The Japanese Government’s decision to “purchase” the islands in spite of China’s fi rm opposition is a gross violation of China’s territorial sovereignty and has had the most severe impact on China-Japan relations since the relations’ normalization 40 years ago, said Zhang.

“No external threat or pressure could weaken, not even in the slightest way, the resolve of the Chinese Government and people to uphold China’s territorial sovereignty,”stressed Zhang.

Japan recently called off a planned island retaking drill w ith the United States that was scheduled for November 5. The drill was supposed to take place on Irisuna Island in southwestern Japan and would have played out a scenario involving the retaking of a territory occupied by foreign forces. Analysts believed that the cancellation was intended to avoid rising tensions w ith China.

“No b it o f land, w ate r and vege tation on the Diaoyu Island s can be trad ed aw ay.”

—Vice Chinese Foreign M inister Zhang Zhijun

Mo re to be d one

Tensions between the two Asian powers have been ongoing for months. Chinese observers worry that rising right-w ing forces in Japan,who orchestrated the “purchase” farce, intend to create more conflicts between China and Japan. They called for more efforts to save the relationship and repair the damage caused by current tensions.

In his briefing, Zhang said China and Japan have maintained close contact on the Diaoyu Islands issue through various channels. On September 25, the two sides held vice foreign ministerial-level consultations over the issue in Beijing. No clear progress has yet emerged from the consultations.

VIGILANCE: Chinese fishery o fficials look at a m ap o f the Diaoyu Islands aboard a patrol ship in waters o ff the islands on Oc tober 22

Japanese Foreign M inister Koichiro Gemba insisted on October 29 that there is no sovereignty dispute over the Diaoyu Islands.The next day, Chinese Foreign M inistry spokesman Hong Lei responded that it is“self-deceiving” for Japan to allege that there is no dispute over the islands.

“The situation is not what it once was follow ing Japan’s illegal ‘purchase’ of the islands,which has destroyed an important consensus reached by the older generation of leaders regarding the islands,” Hong said. “Japan should not have any illusions in this regard any more,”he added, calling on Japan to solve the dispute through negotiations.

Zhou Yongsheng, a professor with China Foreign A ffairs University, pointed out that if right-w ing forces came into power in Japan,there would be more friction between the two Asian neighbors. “There is but one step from hard-line diplomacy to expansionist diplomacy,” Zhou stressed.

Vice Foreign M inister Zhang prompted Japan to stop the current dangerous trend of the Japanese right w ing, which plunged Asia into chaos during World War II. Such forces, if not stopped, w ill become further emboldened and lead Japan further down a dangerous path. If this tendency continues, it is not impossible that the historical tragedy will be repeated and throw Asia and the entire world into turmoil.

Japan has, until this day, remained reluctant to explicitly recognize the nature of its war of aggression. If Japan cannot face up to history, examine its conscience and sincerely correct its m istakes, it w ill never stand up morally or psychologically no matter how developed its economy is, said Zhang.

Zhang said China has maintained from the start that international disputes should be resolved peacefully through dialogue and negotiations. “China w ill not create trouble but neither w ill it fear trouble. We want to live in friendship with all countries including Japan,but we have to uphold our principles and bottom line,” he stressed.

While the Chinese Government adopted countermeasures against Japan’s “purchase,”Chinese peop le spontaneously organized protests and boycotts of Japanese products throughout the country. “If the actions taken by China exceeded Japan’s expectation, it only show s that Japan has from the outset seriously m isjudged the situation and underestimated the w ill and determ ination of the Chinese Government and people to uphold the territorial sovereignty of our country,”Zhang said.

Econom ic cooperation between China and Japan had long been prosperous in spite of the cold bilateral political relationship. Now the situation has started to change. Jin Baisong,a researcher w ith the Chinese Academy of International Trade and Econom ic Cooperation, pointed out tensions caused by the Diaoyu Islands issue are impacting bilateral trade, as Japan’s economy suffered heavily in the wake of September’s “purchase.”

According to statistics from Japan’s Finance M inistry on October 22, Japan’s trade deficit from April to September reached 3.219 trillion yen ($40.2 billion), creating a new record since 1979. In September, Japan’s exports to China suddenly dropped 14.1 percent. Japan’s automobile sales in September decreased 40.8 percent from the same period last year. If the diplomatic friction continues,the Japanese economy w ill continue to sink and may even plunge into a full contraction.

“Japanese business has gained tremendous profi t through bilateral trade and economic cooperation during the past four decades. Now they must play the role of a non-governmental mediator, so as to improve bilateral relations,”Jin said.