Thursday, August 30, 2012

Japanese Ambassadors Car Attacked in Beijing

The car carrying the Japanese ambassador in Beijing was attacked and the Japanese flag flying on the vehicle was ripped off, amid escalating tensions that led to the biggest anti-Japan protests in years. The ambassador, Uichiro Niwa, was unhurt. The embassy had "filed a strong protest with the Chinese Foreign Ministry".

The attack comes after tensions over disputed islands the South China Sea flared in mid-August, when the Japanese coast guard detained Chinese activists who sailed from Hong Kong and landed on the island. Anti-Japanese demonstrations have taken place in Chinese cities over the past two weekends.

China claims sovereignty over virtually all of the South China Sea putting it in direct conflict with Japan, the Philippines, Vietnam, Taiwan and several other countries. The United States is moving additional naval and military assets into the area and has declared it an area of significance to our national security.

These disputes have been raging since the end of World War II but have turned worse since many of the islands have rich fishing grounds around them and early exploration has shown the presence of vast quantities of oil and gas.

My crystal Ball says this is where the next flash point between "East and West" will occur, and that will happen in the next couple of years.




Live Long and Prosper...

No comments: