Senkaku/Diaoyu Dispute
Joe Burleson
INTRO
The world that exists today and the period in which the citizens of the globe find themselves in is unlike in other time, or period, in history. It is a world full of technological innovations and concepts that our ancestors could not possibly have imagined. Amongst the greatest of these innovations that technology has given way to is the instant communication and broadcast of events that occur around the world; some would call this a form of globalization. People are now able to be aware of foreign conflicts, or situations, as they are happening, as opposed to learning about them long after they had occurred. This has created opportunities for immediate analysis and debate on events that have happened perhaps the day before. Recent events that have resulted from a chain of disputed island territories in the East China Sea between China and Japan, are perfect examples of how one can analyze and provide reasoning as to why these conflicts are occurring and in the manner that they occur. MAIN CONFLICT
The major dispute between these countries is historically one of the main reasons two nations have a dispute in the first place, territorial claims. These claims are over a small group of uninhabited islands in the East China Sea, which Japan refers to as the Senkaku Islands and the Chinese refer to as the Diaoyu Islands. While no one actually lives on the islands they are of some importance; the location of the islands are quite close to strategic shipping lanes, are rich in fish, and may have oil deposits deep beneath the soil. Although these islands have been disputed between the two countries for over a century, a pair of events that have transpired in the past year have put this dispute on the front page of global news. The first began in April of 2012 when the Govenor of Tokyo, a very rambunctious and unpredictable man, named Shintaro Ishihara claimed that he would use public money to formally buy the islands from their owner,
INTRO
The world that exists today and the period in which the citizens of the globe find themselves in is unlike in other time, or period, in history. It is a world full of technological innovations and concepts that our ancestors could not possibly have imagined. Amongst the greatest of these innovations that technology has given way to is the instant communication and broadcast of events that occur around the world; some would call this a form of globalization. People are now able to be aware of foreign conflicts, or situations, as they are happening, as opposed to learning about them long after they had occurred. This has created opportunities for immediate analysis and debate on events that have happened perhaps the day before. Recent events that have resulted from a chain of disputed island territories in the East China Sea between China and Japan, are perfect examples of how one can analyze and provide reasoning as to why these conflicts are occurring and in the manner that they occur. MAIN CONFLICT
The major dispute between these countries is historically one of the main reasons two nations have a dispute in the first place, territorial claims. These claims are over a small group of uninhabited islands in the East China Sea, which Japan refers to as the Senkaku Islands and the Chinese refer to as the Diaoyu Islands. While no one actually lives on the islands they are of some importance; the location of the islands are quite close to strategic shipping lanes, are rich in fish, and may have oil deposits deep beneath the soil. Although these islands have been disputed between the two countries for over a century, a pair of events that have transpired in the past year have put this dispute on the front page of global news. The first began in April of 2012 when the Govenor of Tokyo, a very rambunctious and unpredictable man, named Shintaro Ishihara claimed that he would use public money to formally buy the islands from their owner,