Editorial - China, Japan and the Sea
China and Japan have wisely stepped back from a confrontation in the East China Sea. The incident showed the alarming potential for territorial disputes to quickly escalate and why the players need to work a lot harder to resolve competing claims.
We don’t know who was at fault when a Chinese fishing trawler collided two weeks ago with two Japanese patrol boats in waters near islands that are claimed by both sides (plus Taiwan) and controlled by Japan.
Japan returned the trawler to China and released the crew but detained the captain and threatened to prosecute him for obstructing officials from performing their duties after he rammed the patrol boats. China then cut diplomatic communications, detained four Japanese nationals and suspended exports of rare earth minerals that Japan needs for hybrid cars, guided missiles and wind turbines. With tensions rising, Japan finally freed the captain, and, on Saturday, he headed home.
The ownership of the islands — in waters rich with fish and oil and natural gas deposits — has been disputed for decades. China’s claims have become increasingly shrill in recent months; Beijing has even started calling the South China Sea, where Vietnam and the two Koreas also have claims, a “core national interest.” In the diplomatic world, those are fighting words.
China forced Japan to back down but still did itself no favor. Its bullying behavior will only make its neighbors even more anxious about Beijing’s intentions. There are also questions about Tokyo’s motives. Japanese coast guard officers often board Chinese fishing vessels found in waters claimed by Tokyo to send a message and then send them on their way without incident. The collision this time seems more serious, largely because Chinese warships are also increasingly crossing into Japanese waters. The scars in China over Japan’s long and brutal occupation have not healed. But the two countries have tried to work together to rein in North Korea’s nuclear program. The United States, which has a strong alliance with Tokyo, also is rightly eager to encourage China to become a more responsible regional player.
The Obama administration has offered to “facilitate” talks that would ensure freedom of navigation and encourage all states to settle their claims peacefully. That won’t solve the territorial disputes, but it should make confrontations less likely. The time to act is now.
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