When this topic has come up for discussion with some local colleagues/acquaintances (and after we've gone over the issue of whether Chinese fishermen were likely to have been the only/first fishermen to alight on those islands and all of the other bullet points on the list of why China's claims and behavior are ludicrous), I've asked them:
(1.) Whether they own shares in Sinopec or any other Chinese oil company.
(2.) How much they expect petrol/gas/plastic/whatever prices in HK and/or China to drop if China somehow wrangles control of the islands.
Personally, I hope that China keeps up their internal xenophobia/rah-rah-ing and external provocations. Either (1.) the fenqing inside China will realize that their government is a paper tiger that only knows how to kill its own people and conquer near-Stone-Age neighboring countries (Tibet, E. Turkestan) and will overthrow it ... or (2.) China will pull back the fishing boats and rafts and try something real with one of their neighbors and get their butts kicked ... which will lead to #1 happening anyway.
If the police stepped in on these staged riots they would be seen to support the Japanese cause. As long as people were not getting hurt then all would be OK and they would just stand by watching.
It doesn't make sense but that's the reality in China. Unfortunately there is so much misinformation in China and well educated people believe what the govt tell them. When you point out a different opinion you can be seen as anti Chinese.
The HK'ers in question are actually anti-PRC activists as well. Yes Chinese nationalism at its best!
Chinese Nationalism – The Root of Hong Kong’s Pain
To the extent that any country has a case for owning the islands, Japan has the strongest case. Japan has had possession of the islands since 1895 (with a period of US control that ended when they reverted to Japanese control) and a Japanese fish-processing business with hundreds of workers supposedly actually operated on the island for decades before WW2.
Next in line would be Taiwan. China comes a way, way distant third.
Also, as far as the countries being the same I'll agree with you when the Japanese government incites that country's citizens to riot in the streets.
Last edited by pizzalover; 20-08-2012 at 12:52 PM.
Not really either. Taiwan's claim to the islands is a bit different than China's claim.
Taiwan claims the islands, period.
China claims the islands. But they also claim the islands could be Taiwan's (if that is what you're trying to say) because Taiwan belongs to China anyway.