Ballscientist

China and South Korea defined Japan as Japanese Invader. Obama indeed back Japan. There is going to be a war? Adding to the tension, Russian Helicopters’ Ulan Ude factory sold Mi-171E multipurpose helicopters to China, a high-ranking defense industry source said on Tuesday.

http://www.cnn.com/2012/08/23/world/...ute/index.html

http://globalpublicsquare.blogs.cnn....uo-management/

http://www.foreignpolicy.com/article...al_war_of_2012

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Diable

This is an excellent job of making a very complex issue completely inscrutable.

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e-monk

he is a scientist

seifer0406

The reason why Diaoyu Island is of any importance is because there is oil near the region.

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seifer0406

I'm not exactly sure of the history but the jist of it is that the islands used to belong to China. When Japan invaded China they got control of Taiwan along with the Diaoyu Island (the island is just north of Taiwan). When Japan lost WWII the ownership of Diaoyu Island was never properly mentioned and hence the dispute. There is also dispute between Taiwan and China since that island used to be grouped together with Taiwan when it was given to Japan. Not to mention at the time when the Island was supposedly given back China was under the KMT(current Taiwanese government) control.

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E.H. Munro

Taiwan was a functionally independent country until the Sino-Japanese War in the 1890s. China had long denied any ability to govern Taiwan when western colonial powers and Japan asked Imperial China to put an end to piracy that originated from there. China ceded any claim to Taiwan as part of the treaty that ended that war, and Japan conquered and held Taiwan for 50 years. So the issue is even more complex than you're making it out to be.

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If everyone loves you you're doing it wrong.

"Opium is the religion of the masses." Fred Reed

The Power of 99 Press

"He thinks it's going to be fun being governor. It's only fun being governor of New York if you have money to spend, and I spent it all." Nelson Rockefeller on his successor, Hugh Carey.

Diable

Chinese probably haven't really controlled any territory beyond the mainland for around 500 years since the late 1400's when one of the Emperors ordered the destruction of what was probably the most powerful fleet on Earth at that time. They had quite a few problems there actually and chose to focus on internal issues.

All of these territorial claims they are making seem to come old maps from that period and no one would do more than laugh at them if they were not busily trying to build up their Naval capabilities to the point where they can hope to force everyone else to accede to their demands.

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Krstic All-Star

China seeks hegemony, not just the disputed islands - and that's a much bigger concern for the US than its treaty with Japan.

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LIPA delenda est

Ballscientist

Ruussia is completely frustrated.
South Korea may have a war with Japan next month. Read the link.

http://www.defence.pk/forums/world-a...t-japan-2.html

Japan is very good at knocking down someone out suddently. I don't think US can control Japan. Now US has no choices and has to control Russian and China.

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Ballscientist

The most important link for american and japan

http://english.sina.com/world/2012/0819/497931.html

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seifer0406

what do you mean by functionally independent? It was under Qing dynasty control since the late 1600s until it was given to Japan in 1895.

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Diable

Would you care to place a wager on this war happening between Japan and South Korea, BS? I can come up with ten grand and I'll give you ten to one, so you'll only owe me a grand if it does not happen.

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E.H. Munro

The government of China had long denied any ability to govern Taiwan. It was a pirate haven for centuries (I mean, jesus, that's how Chinese arrived there to begin with, well, except for the Hokkien) and the English, Americans, and Japanese at different times requested that China do something about their renegade province and always with the same reply "Sorry, we can't do a whole lot about those guys, they don't listen to us." So, yes, it was functionally independent. Just like Somaliland and Puntland, which are technically under control of the government of Somalia, are functionally independent.

__________________
If everyone loves you you're doing it wrong.

"Opium is the religion of the masses." Fred Reed

The Power of 99 Press

"He thinks it's going to be fun being governor. It's only fun being governor of New York if you have money to spend, and I spent it all." Nelson Rockefeller on his successor, Hugh Carey.

seifer0406

The central Chinese government during those times did not pay much attention to Taiwan, I remember one of the top officials calling the place a wasteland. However the place was undoubtedly under Chinese control ever since the remains of the Ming Dynasty took over the island from the Dutch.

I still don't fully understand the term functionally independent. My understanding is that Taiwan at the time had no other government besides the Chinese government. It was basically an island filled with aboriginals and various settlers and like you said, pirates.

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E.H. Munro

The Dutch transfer to China was more in line with the Chinese transfer to Japan. The pirates had long since driven the Dutch out when they ceded it to China.

__________________
If everyone loves you you're doing it wrong.

"Opium is the religion of the masses." Fred Reed

The Power of 99 Press

"He thinks it's going to be fun being governor. It's only fun being governor of New York if you have money to spend, and I spent it all." Nelson Rockefeller on his successor, Hugh Carey.