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Q: Who do the Senkaku Islands belong to?
Has anyone asked for your opinion on this? A young friend of mine asked me flatly yesterday whether I thought that they belonged to China or Japan. I responded by comparing the conflict to two little boys fighting over a cheap toy ball. She liked the answer.
How do you respond?
Most Chinese people who ask questions about China just want to hear you confirm their existing, China-centric opinions. Chinese history is long. Chinese culture is interesting. Chinese food is "very delicious". Chinese people are friendly, modest and polite, and love their families.
In the case of the Diaoyu Islands, they don't know, or want to know, that international politics is a lot less one-sided than Chinese state media makes out.
A few people, however, have asked me about this topic with genuine curiosity, and in one case, I think they were actually looking for confirmation that the whole Diaoyu Islands thing is a farce, and that Chinese people are being misinformed. Which I was happy to confirm.
1. Regarding History
Neither country claimed to own the Senkaku/Diaoyu Islands in "ancient history". In the late 1800s, Japanese people settled and built factories on one of the islands, which lasted until World War II. Some time after World War II, when control of Japan's islands was returned to Japan, the Diaoyu Islands were amongst them. That is the earliest documented event clearly demonstrating ownership, and at that time, no country (neither Taiwan nor China) expressed any conflicting opinion, claim of ownership, or interest in the matter, despite it being an international settlement.
In the 1960s, the Senkaku/Diaoyu islands were discovered to be rich in resources, and China suddenly developed an interest in owning them. By that time, Japan had documents demonstrating ownership, whereas China did not.
In summary - Neither country made any claim to the Senkaku/Diaoyu Islands in ancient history. Japan now has a weak, but demonstrable claim. China has none whatsoever.
2. Trying to put things in perspective for a Chinese person
"This is a dispute between your governments. Ownership of the Senkaku/Diaoyu Islands will never have a material effect on your life, so why do you care about them so much? Why are some uninhabited rocks in the sea more important to you than wealth disparity, legal inequality, gender inequality, air pollution, water pollution, soil pollution, contaminated food, terrible job market, inflated housing prices, parental restrictions, uncivilised behaviour, animal cruelty, or any of a thousand other things that actually affect you? Did it occur to you that your government wants you to be upset about Japan instead of your real problems?"
3. Regarding all Chinese claims of Sovereignty
China loves producing "ancient" maps that "prove" ownership of everything. But other countries have older, far more extensive maps, so... And Mongolia was a great empire (including much of the same territory) long before China was, so...
4. Conclusion
"As everyone knows" the Senkaku/Diaoyu/Chuckanothershrimponthebarbie Islands belong to Australia. Because I drew a map.
Living in China feels like "Groundhog Day" sometimes - you already know what questions they're going to ask you, and the answers that they're expecting to hear from you. Although this question will not be asked as often as "do you like China?", "do you like Chinese food?", etc
.....and don't correct my Chinese
Most Chinese people who ask questions about China just want to hear you confirm their existing, China-centric opinions. Chinese history is long. Chinese culture is interesting. Chinese food is "very delicious". Chinese people are friendly, modest and polite, and love their families.
In the case of the Diaoyu Islands, they don't know, or want to know, that international politics is a lot less one-sided than Chinese state media makes out.
A few people, however, have asked me about this topic with genuine curiosity, and in one case, I think they were actually looking for confirmation that the whole Diaoyu Islands thing is a farce, and that Chinese people are being misinformed. Which I was happy to confirm.
1. Regarding History
Neither country claimed to own the Senkaku/Diaoyu Islands in "ancient history". In the late 1800s, Japanese people settled and built factories on one of the islands, which lasted until World War II. Some time after World War II, when control of Japan's islands was returned to Japan, the Diaoyu Islands were amongst them. That is the earliest documented event clearly demonstrating ownership, and at that time, no country (neither Taiwan nor China) expressed any conflicting opinion, claim of ownership, or interest in the matter, despite it being an international settlement.
In the 1960s, the Senkaku/Diaoyu islands were discovered to be rich in resources, and China suddenly developed an interest in owning them. By that time, Japan had documents demonstrating ownership, whereas China did not.
In summary - Neither country made any claim to the Senkaku/Diaoyu Islands in ancient history. Japan now has a weak, but demonstrable claim. China has none whatsoever.
2. Trying to put things in perspective for a Chinese person
"This is a dispute between your governments. Ownership of the Senkaku/Diaoyu Islands will never have a material effect on your life, so why do you care about them so much? Why are some uninhabited rocks in the sea more important to you than wealth disparity, legal inequality, gender inequality, air pollution, water pollution, soil pollution, contaminated food, terrible job market, inflated housing prices, parental restrictions, uncivilised behaviour, animal cruelty, or any of a thousand other things that actually affect you? Did it occur to you that your government wants you to be upset about Japan instead of your real problems?"
3. Regarding all Chinese claims of Sovereignty
China loves producing "ancient" maps that "prove" ownership of everything. But other countries have older, far more extensive maps, so... And Mongolia was a great empire (including much of the same territory) long before China was, so...
4. Conclusion
"As everyone knows" the Senkaku/Diaoyu/Chuckanothershrimponthebarbie Islands belong to Australia. Because I drew a map.
The last treaty involving the islands was the treaty signed in 190.... in Russia. China handed them over Japan. But for some reason they neglect to educate their citizens to this fact.
Asians and their petty fighting of little useless islands.
What good is a used up world, and could it be worth having?
My usual response is to give them the most insane thought in my mind. "What do you think about daiyou Islands?", my response is usually something like "Frankenstein never scared me." Usually people will take the hint I don't care about it. But if they push it I will answer back with something like" Sometimes I think I would like to blow stuff up with my mind". After a few insane random sentences, people take the hint and stop bothering me.
Google has the answer, but it is blocked in this beautiful country, because it is providing wrong maps...
