Cold War in the Pacific: China Escalates Tensions with Neighbors

The small Diaoyu/Senkaku Islands in the East China Sea are closest to Taiwan, but, according Spiegel Online, such territorial claims are not about distance but rather “influence and natural resources, with hegemony and nationalism, and with bitter historical memories and fresh, global aspirations – in short, it's a toxic mixture of geopolitics.” Beijing announced an air defense identification zone over the islands. The US, Japan and South Korea responded with unannounced flights. Analysts worry that conflict could start by accident among the trade powers, with historian Christopher Clark comparing the quarreling to Europe’s prior to World War I. China is the world’s second largest economy and largest trade power by sea; officials question why the United States establishes exclusion zones yet does not respect China’s. China presumes US support for Japan, and the zone has forced the US to take sides. To avoid escalation that will produce no winners, the trade powers should employ aggressive diplomacy and settle territorial claims throughout the region once and for all. – YaleGlobal