Game of Islands
17/4/12 18:00![[identity profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/openid.png){kind=small}
dv8nation.livejournal.com posting in ![[community profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/community.png){kind=small}
talkpoliticsTokyo Governor Shintaro Ishihara is interested in using public funds to buy the Senkaku Islands, whose ownership is disputed by China, a Tokyo Metropolitan Government spokesman said.
Ishihara, 79, has begun talks to purchase Uotsurijima, Kitakojima and Minamikojima, all in the Senkaku island chain around 140 kilometers (87 miles) north of Japan’s Ishigaki Island, between Taiwan and Okinawa. He would use funds from the municipal budget to buy the real estate from a Japanese citizen, spokesman Motoyuki Nakazawa said, citing comments Ishihara made in a speech in Washington April 16.
Now what's interesting here is that he not only made this announcement in Washington, but did so at an event hosted by the notorious rightwing think tank the Heritage Foundation. Where was a guest of honor no less. Ishihara's history as a grade of no love of foreigners and being a right wing whack job of the first order in Japanese politics so it's not as odd a team-up as one might think. Especially if the goal here is Japan being used to block Chinese expansion. Anti-China plays well politically in both the US and Japan.
Frankly, I'm pretty wary of this sort of unholy alliance. I, like many expats in Japan, hated Ishihara when I lived there since he loves to blame just about anything on foreigners. And if you know US politics there's a mountain of complaints you can level at the Heritage Foundation. Guys like this should not be meddling at the international level.
(no subject)
Date: 17/4/12 09:47 (UTC)(no subject)
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Date: 17/4/12 12:23 (UTC)But then, if buying a piece of property is enough to affect it's soverignty, China's going to be expanding all over the place.
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Date: 17/4/12 22:56 (UTC)(no subject)
Date: 18/4/12 02:47 (UTC)(no subject)
Date: 18/4/12 06:16 (UTC)I think this is what you mean.
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Date: 17/4/12 09:59 (UTC)(no subject)
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Date: 17/4/12 10:18 (UTC)Now that you've mentioned the gas, I'm thinking China won't relinquish the island so easily and this is heading into becoming a really big deal.
(no subject)
Date: 17/4/12 11:46 (UTC)(no subject)
Date: 17/4/12 11:57 (UTC)http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2005_anti-Japanese_demonstrations
Though IIRC there have been smaller demonstrations that had violence in recent years.
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