2012–2013 Senkaku Islands tensions

The 2012–2013 Senkaku Islands tensions was a dispute between Japan and China and Taiwan over the sovereignty of a group of uninhabited islands known as the Senkaku Islands in Japan and the Diaoyu Islands in China, following Japanese government's nationalization of the islands in 2012.

Background

In March 2012, Tokyo governor Shintaro Ishihara proposed purchasing the Senkaku Islands, known as the Diaoyu Islands in China, which also claims them. In April, he formally stated in a speech in Washington, D.C. that Tokyo would purchase the islands. After this idea was proposed, Tokyo opened a special account, "Tokyo Metropolitan Senkaku Islands Remittance Fund", at Mizuho Bank for the purpose of receiving donations. In addition to Mizuho Bank, Tokyo also opened an account for the same purpose at the Japan Post Bank. Some Japanese people even donated their pension funds to purchase the Diaoyu Islands. By 1 June, the funds raised had reached ¥1 billion yen (approximately ¥80 million renminbi). The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of China and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Taiwan protested against Shintaro Ishihara's purchase of the islands. In September, Japanese prime minister Yoshihiko Noda decided to purchase the islands in the name of the Japanese government, which would nationalize the islands. On 10 September, the Japanese government acquired the Senkaku Islands and their affiliated islands, Nankojima and Kitakojima, from Hiroyuki Kurihara for ¥2.05 billion yen (¥166 million renminbi), and paid the money on 11 September 2012.

After the Japanese government purchased the islands, the Chinese government dispatched maritime surveillance vessels to patrol the waters within 12 nautical miles of the islands to assert sovereignty, while the Japan Coast Guard frequently dispatched ships to expel Chinese vessels. Taiwan, after negotiations and communication with the Japanese government, signed the Diaoyu Islands Fisheries Agreement.

2012

Japan

Government

On 12 September 2012, Japanese foreign minister Kōichirō Genba urged at a press conference in Tokyo that "China should handle this matter in a calm and appropriate manner" and that "it is very important that both sides respond from the perspective of the overall situation, so as not to let the situation escalate further." Japanese prime minister Yoshihiko Noda said that "the whole country will defend the Senkaku Islands" and has drafted eight plans, including sending the Japan Self-Defense Forces to be stationed there permanently and building lighthouses on the islands. On 16 September 2012, Noda submitted the Senkaku Islands issue to the United Nations and planned to clarify Japan's position on the Senkaku Islands and Liancourt Rocks issues in his speech at the UN General Assembly summit, while also seeking support from the United States, Vietnam, and the Philippines. On 16 September 2012, Noda said on an NHK television political discussion program that all foreigners who land on the Senkaku Islands would be arrested, but Liancourt Rocks and the Southern Kuril Islands would be exempted because they are under the actual control of foreign countries. On 17 September 2012, Japanese foreign minister Kōichirō Genba, Defense Minister Satoshi Morimoto and U.S. Secretary of Defense Leon Panetta held talks. Panetta promised the Japanese side that "Article 5 of the Japan–U.S. Security Treaty applies to the Senkaku Islands." On 18 September 2012, Tōru Hashimoto, representative of the Japan Restoration Party and mayor of Osaka, made a speech saying that "Okinawa police must be stationed on the Senkaku Islands" and "build a ship dock" and that "[the Japanese government] is really too spineless." On 19 September 2012, Tokyo Governor Shintaro Ishihara held a press conference and said, "We might as well tell China: If you dare to come, we will cut you down." He also said that a shipyard and lighthouse would be built on the Senkaku Islands soon. On 26 September 2012, Noda met with Indonesian president Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono, Colombian president Juan Manuel Santos, Mongolian president Tsakhiagiin Elbegdorj, Australian prime minister Julia Gillard, and other dignitaries during his free time at the United Nations Summit in New York City. He strongly criticized the anti-Japanese protests by China and sought support from various countries. On 27 September 2012, Noda stated at the United Nations Heads of State Conference: "Whether from a historical or international law perspective, the Senkaku Islands are Japan’s inherent territory, and this is a clear fact. There is no issue of sovereignty [with China], and this is the basic principle of our position. It is impossible to back down from this principle and make compromises." He said "Defending sovereignty, territory and territorial waters is a nation’s natural responsibility. Our country will continue to fulfill this responsibility in accordance with international law." On the same day, Shinzo Abe, the president of the Liberal Democratic Party, said at a press conference: "There is no territorial issue between China and Japan." On 28 September 2012, Japanese chief cabinet secretary Osamu Fujimura said at a press conference in response to Chinese foreign minister Yang Jiechi's debate at the UN General Assembly, "[The Senkaku Islands] are a unilateral claim by China and have no basis whatsoever." On the same day, the Japanese government announced that it would launch an ocean observation satellite in 2013 to monitor the Senkaku Islands. Late at night on 28 September 2012, Noda updated his blog and expressed his views on the anti-Japanese demonstrations in China: "The 'character' of the people themselves should also be questioned," and "Violence is unforgivable in any situation." On 29 September 2012, Seiji Maehara, former chairman of the Policy Research Council of the Democratic Party of Japan, delivered a speech in Kobe, stating that "China is a country that distorts and falsifies history." He also stated that "the so-called repeated 'intrudements into Japanese territorial waters' by Chinese government vessels are intended to lure the Self-Defense Forces into action in order to find a pretext to launch an attack on Japan." On 2 October 2012, Noda ordered government officials to compile a book entitled "Three Truths About the Senkaku Islands" to explain the situation of the Senkaku Islands to all countries that have diplomatic relations and embassies with Japan: "(1) The Senkaku Islands are historically and under international law Japan’s ‘inherent territory’. (2) The purpose of ‘nationalization’ is to maintain stable administration. (3) Violence is not permitted for any reason." On 2 October 2012, the Consulate General of Japan in New York, in the name of Consul General Yasuhisa Kawamura, submitted an article to the online edition of The New York Times refuting the issue of the ownership of the Senkaku Islands. The article stated: "The Senkaku Islands are Japan's inherent territory, which is an indisputable fact both historically and under international law." He stated that "Opinions such as calling the Senkaku Islands spoils of the Sino-Japanese War (First Sino-Japanese War) are seriously wrong." On 5 October 2012, the Japanese Ministry of Foreign Affairs published an article from the People's Daily, the official newspaper of the Central Committee of the Chinese Communist Party, dated 8 January 1953, entitled "The People of the Ryukyu Islands Oppose the U.S. Administration," and stated that "It is evident that the People's Republic of China once regarded the Diaoyu Islands as part of Okinawa." The People's Daily article at that time acknowledged that the Diaoyu Islands belonged to the Ryukyu Islands, but also clearly stated that " the people of Ryukyu and the people of Japan are people of two different countries that do not include each other."

On 9 October 2012, Japanese Parliamentary Secretary for Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries Eiichiro Washio said at a political funding banquet, "It doesn’t matter who owns the island, it can also belong to the Chinese government. Some of my words may sound grammatically incorrect, but this matter is as simple as writing ‘Chinese government’ in the register of Japanese citizens." On 10 October 2012, Foreign Minister Kōichirō Genba made a speech at a press conference and took out a World Atlas published by China in 1960, which listed the Diaoyu Islands as the Senkaku Islands. He said, "China only began to claim sovereignty over the relevant islands after 1970. In maps issued by China in the 1960s, the Senkaku Islands were clearly marked as Japanese territory." On 11 October 2012, Japanese deputy prime minister Katsuya Okada said in an interview with Phoenix Television: "The Chinese side said that when Premier Zhou Enlai met with Prime Minister Kakuei Tanaka, and when Deng Xiaoping met with Prime Minister Fukuda during his visit to Japan, they reached a tacit consensus on the Senkaku issue. But we do not think so. At that time, the Senkaku was also Japanese territory, without a doubt, and we will not put it aside. Regarding the content of the talks between Zhou Enlai and Kakuei Tanaka, and between Deng Xiaoping and Fukuda, the Japanese side has made the information public, and anyone can check it. I think there was no tacit consensus." He said "Japan believes that the territorial issue does not exist, and this position has not changed. But Japan recognizes that the Chinese government has a major concern about the Senkaku, which is a real problem. Both countries must handle this matter from this perspective." He continued "I think the Chinese side also understands Japan’s position to some extent." On 12 October 2012, Japanese minister of state for National Strategy Seiji Maehara said in an interview with TV Asahi that the Japanese government purchased the Senkaku Islands to prevent Shintaro Ishihara from causing trouble and to prevent war with China. On the same day, Japanese foreign minister Kōichirō Genba said that he would deliver a speech at the G8 summit on "the legitimacy of Japan's sovereignty over the Senkaku Islands" and that Japan would establish new embassies abroad in 2013 to strengthen international ties and information communication.