How they see it
Rival claims of Japan and China over the Senkaku/Diaoyu Islands
1. The Yomiuri Shimbun
The government must address the issue with precautions and countermeasures. To maintain maritime order, surveillance by [Japan coastguard] patrol ships must be strengthened. The fact that Japan has effectively controlled the Senkaku Islands has not been conveyed to the Chinese people due to Beijing's control of the media. We suspect the Chinese people do not understand what Japan's "nationalisation" of the islands means. China is stepping up its diplomatic offensive as well. It has released a white paper to justify its territorial claim. Japan needs to make other nations understand what has happened with the Senkaku Islands and how calmly Japan has dealt with the issue. (Tokyo)
2. China Daily
With its antics over the Diaoyu Islands, the administration [of Prime Minister Yoshihiko Noda] has brought the development of bilateral ties to a standstill. In 1972 - 17 years after Japan's surrender to the allied countries - China buried the hatchet and restored diplomatic relations with its one-time enemy. Leaders of the two countries were well aware of their strategic interdependence. Unfortunately, such wisdom and far-sightedness have not been the hallmark of Noda's administration. The Japanese government's sweeping denial of the existence of the dispute over the islands and of the consensus the two countries once reached on shelving this dispute has shown Japan is shifting to the right. (Beijing)
3. The Asahi Shimbun
Since [Prime Minister Yoshihiko Noda] went so far [at the UN General Assembly] as to state Japan's position of seeking solutions based on international laws, if China takes the case to the International Court of Justice, there is no reason for Japan to reject the move. China, meanwhile, criticised Noda's statement. A Chinese Foreign Ministry official said Japan was trying to use deception by bringing forth international laws. China maintains that the dispute should be settled through bilateral talks. At the same time, however, it has repeatedly said there is historical evidence and legal grounds for its claim. Both countries should seriously consider using the ICJ as a diplomatic tool to resolve their conflict. (Tokyo)
