China is rapidly becoming a global power. It already has the world's largest population, and now the world's second largest economy - second only to the United States). China will undoubtedly play an important political and economic role in the twenty-first century both regionally and internationally. But what sort of role will it play? The Chinese reaction during the past few weeks over a dispute with Japan increases doubt that China will exercise its growing power responsibly.
The dispute started Sept. 7 near the Senkaku (or the Diaoyu) islands - uninhabited rocks claimed by both Japan and China in the East China Sea. A Chinese fishing boat rammed into Japanese patrol boats in the area, resulting in the arrest of the fishing boat's captain. While the issue is a seemingly trivial legal matter that should have been easily reconciled, China unfortunately chose to escalate the situation. Chinese Prime Minister Wen Jiabao demanded that the fishing captain be returned "immediately and unconditionally." According to The Economist on Sept. 23, China then suspended almost all diplomatic ties with the Japanese government and arrested several Japanese nationals living in China, threatening to take "further actions" if Japan failed to comply. Though those "actions" were never defined, China released a statement declaring the arrest a fundamental violation of a Chinese citizen's rights.
Anytime China claims to be acting in the name of "human rights," there is almost always an ulterior motive, and this incident is no exception. According to American.edu's Cheng-China Huang, the dispute over the Senkaku islands was not an issue until the United Nations "suggested' there may be oil deposits" in area. It is clear that China wants to implement its "sovereignty" over those uninhabited rocks in the East China Sea not because the islands themselves are valuable, but because there are oil and gas fields to the north. China and particularly Japan are countries with scarce resources but substantial populations. If either country forfeits its claims to the Senkaku islands, they will significantly reduce their ability to tap into those valuable resources. China understands this and interprets the captain's release as a "diplomatic victory" and an "affirmation of [China's] growing economic might," according to Andrew Jacobs of the New York Times. China's overreaction to the fisherman's arrest is an attempt to force Japan to recognize Chinese sovereignty over the disputed islands to legitimize its claims in the East China Sea and secure access to the disputed oil fields.
China's reaction sets an unfortunate precedent for the way in which the Middle Kingdom will deal with its neighbors and its territorial disputes. Apart from its squabbles with Japan, China has several other disputed claims with some of its other neighbors, such as India and Vietnam. Some claims, however, are borderline ridiculous, such as the disputes with Indonesia and Malaysia, which do not share a border with China and are in fact over a thousand miles away. The only geographic similarity among those nations is that they border the South China Sea. Actually, China asserts claims over the entire South China Sea and declares it one of the country's "core national interests." The Senkaku island dispute illustrates China's willingness to aggressively assert its territorial claims while belligerently bullying its neighbors in the process. This behavior can increase tensions not only with its peaceful neighbors, but also with the United States. The U.S. has significant military commitments to Japan, Taiwan and South Korea - all of which are important political and economic allies. An aggressive China can escalate tensions with the U.S. and may lead to unfortunate consequences.
China's reaction to the Senkaku island disputes was juvenile. China decided to bully its neighbor, thus ending decades of relative political and economic cooperation. The People's Republic of China cut off diplomatic ties, threatened Japan, and allegedly placed an informal embargo on important exports. Then, after Japan pragmatically decided to return the captain to China, China demanded not only a formal apology, but also further compensation. China may have easily worked out a deal to jointly share the oil fields with Japan. In fact, such a deal was being negotiated at the time, but China let its nationalistic and territorial interest get in the way of negotiating with an agreeable neighbor. Instead of reaching a mutually beneficial outcome, China, like a playground bully, pushed Japan around rather than working peacefully together. It is doubtful that China will use its new and growing power to promote a more stable and prosperous world. The "peaceful rise" of China has and will continue to be proven a myth. In fact, if its recent childish behavior is any indication of how it plans to act in upcoming conflicts, the future will be a much more turbulent place.
Nathan Jones is a Viewpoint writer for The Cavalier Daily.\n
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