Diaoyu Islands dispute a watershed
0 
Tokyo should seek compromise
The United States had played a disruptive role by creating the dispute between China and Japan over Diaoyu Islands.
When the US returned the occupied Okinawa to Japan in 1972, it also transferred the administrative jurisdiction rights of the Diaoyu Islands, which actually belong to China. According to international law, administrative jurisdiction and sovereignty are two entirely different concepts.
Moreover, such jurisdiction transfer is illegal, for it deals with the territory of a third party. So Japan can never have sovereignty over the Diaoyu Islands.
Since Japan has been continually strengthening its control over the Diaoyu Islands, it is not enough for China to only send patrol boats to the islands. Instead, China should continue to modernize its navy.
China definitely wants to maintain stable cooperation with Japan. But considering Japan's actions and the effect of China's countermeasures, Beijing should think of employing another strategy. Of course, the strategy should be based on certain diplomatic principles.
From the perspective of China's rejuvenation, the signing of the Economic Cooperation Framework Agreement between the Chinese mainland and Taiwan has far-reaching effects on Sino-Japan and Sino-US relations, as well as China's relationship with neighboring countries.
The two sides across the Taiwan Straits should consider how to take joint action to safeguard China's sovereignty over the Diaoyu Islands.
We should, through certain channels, make Japan recognize that to reach a compromise with China over the Diaoyu Islands dispute is conducive to the development of Sino-Japanese relations.
