Okinawa claim a step too far

The People's Daily recently carried a shocking article that makes us feel China's expansionism has gone too far.

The article, carried in last Wednesday's edition, was based on a paper written by two researchers that suggests China has sovereignty over Okinawa prefecture, claiming the matter remains unsettled.

We question the motive for carrying such a megalomaniac argument in the official newspaper of the Communist Party of China, which reflects the stance of the Chinese government led by Xi Jinping.

The paper contends that "Taiwan, its integrated islands [including the Senkakus], Penghu Island and the Ryukyu Islands [Okinawa] were taken by Japan when the Shimonoseki Treaty was concluded in 1895 following the end of the Sino-Japanese War ... the time has come to discuss the Ryukyu issue again, which remains unsettled."

Chief Cabinet Secretary Yoshihide Suga countered the argument by saying: "Okinawa is irrefutably a Japanese territory from a historical and international perspective. Japan won't tolerate such a claim if it represents the Chinese government's position." It is understandable that he lodged such a strong protest with the Chinese side.

Declarations of China's sovereignty over Okinawa have surfaced in past slogans at anti-Japan protests and in academic papers. But the Chinese government itself has never claimed sovereignty over the prefecture or taken concrete actions. This is probably because even Beijing recognises the claim is groundless.

Referring to the paper during a news conference, a Chinese Foreign Ministry spokeswoman did not directly state the government's stance on the sovereignty issue, only saying, "It's an issue that has attracted the attention of academia for a long time."

Beijing reportedly told Tokyo the article was "written by researchers in a private capacity". Nevertheless, the article's contention cannot be taken lightly. This is particularly true because it was also the People's Daily that first referred to the Senkaku Islands in Okinawa prefecture as one of China's "core interests" in January last year. This term is used to define issues of national interest such as state sovereignty and territorial integrity, over which China has vowed not to make any concessions.

The Chinese government had avoided using the phrase until the same Chinese Foreign Ministry spokeswoman used it to officially refer to the Senkakus in April.

In an attempt to shatter Japan's effective control of the islands, the Xi administration has been increasingly confrontational by repeatedly sending Chinese surveillance ships into Japanese territorial waters around the Senkakus.

It is necessary to maintain heightened awareness should China attempt to implement a propaganda campaign claiming sovereignty over both the Senkakus and the rest of Okinawa prefecture in addition to its defiant maritime actions.

Tokyo must convey the extreme malfeasance of China's territorial claims to the international community.

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Article source: http://www.thethailandlinks.com/2013/05/16/okinawa-claim-a-step-too-far/