Essays --

In spite of their many wars and conflicts, China and Japan share a cultural tie that has bridged over the centuries. In the post-Cold War period, China and Japan have become major trading partners and their economies are now interdependent of each other. Nevertheless tensions between the two sides today over islets in the East China Sea are showing no signs of abating. The situation over ownership of the territories is so tense that some fear an outbreak of war. It is a wonder why this territorial dispute flared up so suddenly over the past few years. If the conflict between Sino-Japanese relations is ultimately over fishing rights and natural resources, then tensions over the islands should have risen four decades ago. The territorial dispute is so complex that there is no easy solution to this incendiary situation. What is clear, though, is that avoiding further confrontation, and urging for more effective communication at all levels of society is crucial. There is no doubt that China and Japan mistrust each other’s intentions and expect the other to be plotting against them. Both countries view themselves as the victim and the other as the aggressor. For the Chinese, the patriotic education emphasized after the early 1990s has had its intended effect as nationalist sentiments rose. China’s rise in the global scene has also contributed to this nationalist surge. Furthermore, it is difficult to counteract that most people are not that nationalistic because China is not a democratic country. The Chinese government has periodically used anti-Japanese sentiment and has revealed that the government allows anti-Japan demonstrations to take place but not demonstrations for other reasons. The government also seeks actively to shape the... ...dia coverage that exaggerates the most violent moments in the anti-Japanese protests in China. Moreover, governments and civil society organizations on both sides should actively support joint history research and incorporate not only one country’s views of historical events and their understanding, but also other relevant actors’ perceptions appropriately in their textbooks to cultivate coexistence and reconciliation. The Senkaku/Diaoyu dispute is a complex issue that has put security in East Asia at risk. Despite the rising tensions over political and security relations, there is still room for greater economic cooperation. If both countries see each other as a companion for their common needs and share passion of prosperity and peace, then these two nations can expect a miracle of peace and development not only politically and economically, but socially as well.