From Chosun Ilbo:

China reacts with force, not diplomacy – unlike South Korea

Media analysis in Japan suggests that Prime Minister Noda Yoshihiko‘s historical outlook and miscalculation drove the Sino-Japan relationship to all-time low in a diplomatic standoff. In recent times, Noda has caused much friction with neighboring countries with a number of incendiary comments [‘there is no war criminal in Yasukuni Shrine’] and his nationalist sentiment ruffled many feathers. His attempt to outgun runaway right-wing elements in Japan before the party leadership election forced him to nationalize the Senkakus-Diaoyu conflict, which sparked a violent reaction in China and endangered the effective control over the Senkakus.

Insensitive towards historical issues

Japanese broadcaster NHK reported that Noda may have deliberately chosen anti-Japanese anniversaries to provoke China. The announcement of the plan was made on the 7th of July, the Marco Polo Bridge Incident day. Noda’s decision to officially nationalize the Senkaku islands was on the 10th September, Manchurian Incident day.

Blatant ignorance of Hu’s warning signals

The Chinese president Hu-Jintao warned Noda on the 9th this month at the APEC meeting that ‘the Chinese government will responsd firmly and without hesitation to assert territorial sovereignty.’ However, the next day, Noda officially announced the plan on nationalization. Tokyo Welfare University Professor Endo Homare commented ‘deliberate disregard by Noda is the reason (for the Chinese reaction) behind the Chinese hard-line response.’

Obsession with the Chinese internal collapse hypothesis

The Japanese Ministry of Defense White Paper has maintained that ‘Chinese internal pressure from social and ethnic inequality may lead to implosion.’ As a result, any anti-Japanese protest is assumed to be ‘anti-governmental’ in nature and would be automatically suppressed by the Chinese authorities.

China reacting in the same manner as South Korea

The hard-line posture against South Korea after the Dokdo-Takeshima row earned political points for Noda. With China however, his strategy floundered. One analyst commented that ‘Noda was mistaken in thinking that a row with a non-democratic country like China would resolve in a similar manner to South Korea.’ China took a decidedly different approach as this week’s events showed. The military did not hesitate to call for more aggressive action while the protesters quickly turned into a violent mob. When China pushed back, Noda and the rest fell completely silent without so much as a single statement in protest.

Over-reliance on the United States

Noda expected the United States to weigh in on the basis of the bilateral security treaty. The Japanese government sought to confirm that the Senkakus fell under the purview of the US-Japan bilateral defense treaty. But the United States confirmed that it ‘does not take a position on the sovereignty of the islands, known as Diaoyu in Chinese and Senkaku in Japanese.‘ This reiterated the American position as earlier voiced by Leon Panetta that the ‘Japan-U.S. alliance shouldn’t be viewed by China as American support for the Japanese point of view on the island standoff.’

Comment from Daum:

skan:

In other words, Korea’s done a shit job.

Fear-Hope-Act:

Feels so goooood~

우주:

The only way to deal with Japan is by forcing them to kneel and treat them with a stick. Treat them like humans and they think they are gods. We should never repeat the same mistakes our ancestors made.

만파식적:

That really captures the attitude of the japs. To a powerful country, they will bow down~ To a smaller country, threat and blackmail~ What we need is a response similar to China’s. When push comes to shove, fire first. If we don’t have the military hardware, borrow a nuke from North Korea. We can cooperate economically with North Korea and they will loan us nuclear weapons… Once unified, the japs will be a piece cake….

명수:

In South Korea where the pro-Japanese reign supreme, it’s easy. But where the pro-Japanese get beat-down, it’ll be difficult for Japan. That is indeed a great nation.

tkghfis:

The fact that they look down on us angers me. What should we do? Servile to a powerful one and powerful against a weak one… Japan, you will get punished for this… They will never let go of that attitude… true heights of two-facedness…

머찐아빠:

Noda, ke ke, trying to win some easy points? Trying to push around China? Thought it would be as easy as pushing around Korea? And you think Korea is easy?

아름다운밤하늘:

If our government dealt with the Dokdo issue like that, it would be over by now. Serious reflection by the government is needed….

무한호감:

This is so shameful, all this because we have no power. Park Geun-hye… whatever you do, if you promise to develop a nuclear weapon, I will vote for you.

휴니:

This was a big mistake by America, reviving Japan as a beachhead to Asia. So now Japan thinks they are all that. What they need is some severe beating.

리 바운드:

So the conclusion we draw from this is… MB taught them a wrong lesson ke ke.

힘내자:

The title of the article make us ashamed. ‘Mistaken to think it would be like South Korea…’ I am jealous of the Chinese collective effort and their national consciousness.

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