Diaoyutai dispute btwn China and Japan

Welcome to A2k BOOH

Actually, you are right - I should have fixed up my original post to say something like that. And again, you are right, both sides of the story should be told and understood before decisions are made. As I understand it however, china only has one Japanese professor advocating its side of the story...I have a feeling that the issue of Taiwan is overshadowing other territory disputes. It seems like you have done some net reserach as well. What do you think about the situation?

Where has JB gone these days??

Sorry for my reluctance Prag.

It is a complicted issue for me especially myself is involved in it. Sometimes I really find nothing to say about it, I may just want to stay put, and scan the status first.

I am thinking about "Anti-secession Law" these days. What you guys' opinions?

...You're involved in it? What do you mean? That sounds really...well, qi guai (mysterious - I hope my pinyin is ok).

The anti-secession law!! Well...this is such a contraversial issue that I really don't want to say anything too strong or enthusiastic...What I am thinking though is this - the very FACT that President Chen is requesting indpendence from China already has him acknowleging that Taiwan is a part of China. If so, then why should China allow them to be independent just on Chen and a number of the populations wish? I remember one of my law lecturers saying that the UN does not allow indpendent and autonomous new countries popping up all over the world.

How about You?

I said I was involved in this it because my country was involved in it and so that's it.
It is absolutely different from viewing the war of Iraq or the "revolution" in Kyrgistan.
You've got my point?

About AS law, I just don't understand why it have caused so many controversies. A war has been a potential scenario ever since the Communist and the Kuomintung split up and a legalized version might have very little impact on this possiblity.

I think the reason that Hu's communist party wanted to make this law just because they feared that their successors might oneday soften the pose on Taiwan or even permit its independence silently.
That is not impossible, who knows?!

When Taiwan's first presidential election was held, Mainland threatened to "attack". When the referendum was held, Mainland also threatened. Now, the situation has reached the final red line: the constitutional change. If it was achieved, who could deny that Taiwan was independent?
From this point of view, you may also realize how RELUCTANTLY the Mainland government thinks about the reunification with Taiwan.

I agree with your comments - war has been an imminent issue etc etc. When I said contraversial, I meant it from the point of Australia - the government has two "loyalties" - on the one side, China, on the other side, the USA (and I am sure that you are perfectly clear about their position on this issue).

From the point of view of USA, they didn't oppose much against Anti-secession law either.
Recently they oppose more against the "independence force".

Because the most ideal condition of Taiwan Strait for USA is peace, the balance of power. They don't want to see that Mainland invade Taiwan, and don't want Taiwan to claim independence either. Because if Taiwan claims full independence, a war is inevitable.
I think this is the condition which is favored by Mainland, KMT, and Japan. Even Chen Shu-Bian has gradually accepted it. (This man don't have enough determination to claim independence I bet)

not so much determination - but a very intelligent man in many ways, I have to admit, especially for elections. Did Lee Deng Hui say that this man knows how to run an election, but he doesn't know how to run a country? Of course he is not going to outright claim indpendence - he knows the USA would be very unhappy about the uproar its going to start. but his actions - his very actions are all indicating silent indpendence - isn't there a phrase? I can't remember it.

either way, JB, hes not "enough determination", he is "extremely cunning."

JB - asking one who is in China and therefore, like a primary source - what is the atmosphere like there in regards to the anti Japan protests? I have seen it on the news (for gods sake, it dominates world news) and its looks pretty heated - that's an understatement - REALLY heated.

What does diaoyutai mean?

Hi Bram :

<this may be subject to some correction> but to my understanding, the literal english meaning is fishing <diaoyu> Platform <tai>.

In some parts and some people are driven crazy.
"Boycut the Japanese goods!"
These kinds of almost "silly" words have reverberated through my ears for hundreds of times. (Though, there is no single report about the demonstration by the media except an English report on Xinhua.net. Everybody knows it.)

But I dare say that most people are rational, though the hatred or just dislike toward Japanese among ordinary people is really universal.

The main problem was brought by the US. In the first Sino-Japanese war 1895, Japan gained the Taiwan and the Diaoyu islands from the Chinese hand, and gained the Chinese formal recognistion of Ryukyu-gunto to be Japanese (before that, Ryukyu-gunto was a dependent kingdom of China). after the WW2, the Ameican occupied the Ryukyu-gunto, years after, when the US handed the Ryukyu-gunto back to Japanese, it handed the Diaoyu Islands to the Japanese as well, though the Diaoyu islands were under governing by Taiwan for centuries. This then brought out the dispute. It's shame that the US doesn't and unwilling to say a single word on it on purpose.

YES YES YES!! one sentence says it all - how can one (USA) hand something (the island) over to someone (JP) when you don't own that thing? And now they have mumbled away...huge contrast to their attitude towards the Taiwan-China dispute.

I have read your posts on China and Taiwan and I think you and I are kindred spirits.

By the way DestinyX, I see you are a UK student - are you actually...*don't know how to say this* english or of another nationality? I was wondering what views english people have over the issue of the opium war and Hong Kong.