It seems that China is trying its best to press its claim that the Diaoyu Islands are part of its territory.
This was why a group of Hong Kong citizens sailed to the islands earlier this month. I would like to express my opinion about the Diaoyu Islands dispute.
When you look at this territorial dispute, there does appear to be a growing sense of nationalism. It has developed since the dispute began about who has rightful ownership of the islands. Now it appears that the nations involved want to show off their power.
Since the handover, there has been some mistrust between Hong Kong citizens and the ruling communist government in Beijing.
The central government has tried to foster a sense of nationhood here, but this has proved difficult. The Diaoyu Islands dispute is one way to encourage that sense of belonging to the nation. The Japanese government is also finding that its citizens are becoming more sensitive about the disputed territory.
Enmity between the two countries goes back to the first Sino-Japanese war and there is still residual ill-feeling.