Publication

This commentary discusses China-Japan tensions over the Diaoyu/Senkaku islands. It seems that the reason for the increasing tensions is an internal political rivalry in Japan. The PRC’s rough response to the “nationalization” of the islets (e.g., dispatching surveillance vessels to the islands), which was inevitable, especially on the eve of the once-in-a-decade leadership succession, and anti-Japanese sentiments in China, could destabilize the situation in the region and deteriorate bilateral relations and economic cooperation.