As up to 70 maritime patrol vessels and coast guard ships circle the remote set of rocks in the East China Sea, tension mounts on the other side of the globe. Fearful that an Asian cold war with two of the world’s largest economies at opposite ends might commence, Pentagon’s chief calls for calm in the China - Japan spat. Yet, anti-Japan protests continue to rock the major cities of China whilst Japanese companies including Honda, Toyota and Aeon continue to suspend operations inside the Chinese Republic.
The deep rooted hatred that has become evident through this incidental ‘flare-up’ serves is yet another reminder of just how potent territorial disputes remain in Asia. The island dispute is, therefore, not just a diplomatic scuffle but a clear sign indicating and revealing that the wounds of previous conflicts are still fresh. In view of the current situation, it may well be said that this ‘war of words’ might result in a spite filled cold war that could last for years if not decades.
Even though there has been a massive amount of economic integration between the two countries, the danger, clearly, is that politics will trump economics in the new Asian cold war. Although Japan is a big investor in China with two way trade worth $342.9billion last year, it continues to assert territorial authority by pressing on with the islands issue. Therefore, it is evident that the economic friendship will be of no use if China and Japan were to end up in actual conflict.
This fate is more worrying for the world than for the rivals themselves. If the world’s second and third largest economies were to clash, then the global markets would be completely destabilized and who knows what devastating repercussions would face the dependent nations. It is therefore imperative that the international community helps these conflicting nations in sorting out their issues.
The issues, however, are not that simple – there has been a constantly competitive rivalry between China and Japan over the previous three centuries. By the 1700’s China had become the most dominant and advanced empire in the Far East. Travelers from Japan realized how savage and backwards the Japanese were as compared to their counterparts in China. From then on the Japanese began a wave of economic and military development which inevitably led to territorial expansion. A large chunk of Northern China as well as Taiwan, Korea and the surrounding Pacific Islands came under Japanese rule by the early 1940’s. Japanese products were considered the superior products in the world market due to their high standard of quality. Hence economic rivalry had also begun.
After the Second World War, however, the Japanese were driven out of China with the assistance of the international community and the People’s Republic of China was formed under the inspiring leadership of Mao Zedong. Ideologically, socially, culturally and economically China had been reformed. And so it began its ‘great leap forward’ – the leap to overtake economic and political rival Japan.
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Since then China has advanced so much that at present it is an economic giant and has overtaken its eastern competitor in terms of industry, trade and political power. Thus the spark of territorial dispute continues to be fuelled by the long lasting sentiments of competitiveness and hate.
Hence, it is clear that the current China-Japan row is an outcome of the thriving and growing framework of conflict that has developed over the span of centuries. The only way to stop this cataclysmic cold war from flaring up is that either of the two economic giants gives up its claim on the remote set of rocks. The side that ultimately does this, will, through that gesture, convey its message of wanting peace and stability in the Asian region. Until then the world waits……
Daniyal Motan FY-K
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