In which the Chinese and Japanese ambassadors to Canada outline their respective countries’ positions on the issue of the disputed islands.
The disputed territory in the East China sea, known to the Japanese as the Senkaku Islands and to the Chinese as Diaoyu, is the source of ongoing conflict between the governments of the two nations. After the Second World War, the islands were administered by the Americans, but when they handed authority to the Japanese in 1971, the Chinese government asserted its claim to the terrority. The uninhabited islands are in close proximity to key shipping lanes and rich fishing ground, and are believed to be the home of untapped oil reserves. Earlier this year, the Japanese government purchased the disputed islands from a private owner, prompting large-scale public protests in China.
Last week, The Mark News was approached by the Chinese ambassador to Canada, with a request to publish his statement on the dispute. We agreed to do so, but only if the Japanese ambassador was willing to make a similar statement. We are printing both commentaries here, exactly as they were submitted, and we are inviting both the Chinese and Japanese ambassadors to respond to the other side in this forum.
Photo courtesy of Reuters.
