First time Kishore sounded so hollow

Kishore’s article in the media yesterday, ‘How to prevent a war between China and Japan’ gave one a little anticipation that he was offering some enlightening wisdom to a historical Gordian Knot. His recommendation was anything but a sign of lacking in depth in the understanding of China Japan relations and the history of the Diaoyu Island dispute.

The Noda govt before Abe put on a farcical act claiming that it was trying to defuse a nationalistic move to buy the Islands by Shintaro Ishihara, the Tokyo governor. The buying or selling of the Islands by any Japanese is offensive to the Chinese govt and the Chinese people. The excuse by the Noda govt to buy the Islands instead was taking the Chinese people and govt as fools. It was a national insult to think the Chinese did not know what the whole play was about.

This kind of offensive act at the expense of China was prevalent in the 19^th and 20^th century by Imperialist Japan. Such acts were committed over and over again to violate the national sovereignty of China and grabbing chunks of Chinese territories. The humiliating acts were possible at a time when China was the Sick Man of Asia, invaded and semi colonized by the European powers and Japan.

A renewed China that is good enough to keep the Americans from attempting wild designs on Chinese territories would not give an inch to a little Japan intent to keep the Diaoyu Islands it seized from Manchu China. And for Kishore to suggest that China would be pleased if Abe would to sell the Islands to any Japanese non govt entity would appease China must be, not being rude, patronizing and naïve.

The ignorance on China Japan historical disputes is showing. China would never give up taking back the Islands. No country with the military means would allow a weaker nation to occupy its territories. Japan can go on an arms race with
 

China, even with the backing of the Americans, it would still end up suffering a bloody nose this time. And attempt to start a war will see Chinese soldiers in Japan and returning the favour with Nankin vividly in the minds of all Chinese. Japan may want to commit to another suicidal defence of the main Japanese islands like in Okinawa and the Pacific Islands defending against the American forces. China now has absolute numerical superiority in all fields of military hardware and headcounts.

The game has changed. China is now not a helpless underdeveloped and ill equipped or ill prepared poor country. It has the full compliments of all the arms of a full fledged superpower and a massive war industry to go with. Japan can try to go on an arms race with China and see if it has the unlimited resources to do so. Even the Americans are bankrupting itself trying to maintain its huge armed forces and will be broke without having to fight a war.

If Japan is bent on keeping the Islands, it is a matter of when before China take the Islands back by force. There is no other option, no buying and selling of the Islands by the Japanese in anyway that would be acceptable to China. The only way for Japan to avoid a showdown with China is to return the Islands voluntarily and gain more goodwill and clean up its war debt with China.

China or any other country will never compromise on its core national interest. Diaoyu Islands are everything about China, about China as a respectable nation, as a superpower. There can be no compromise on territorial integrity.