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An anti-Japanese protester throws a gas canister during a demonstration over the disputed Diaoyu Islands in Shenzhen, China, on Sunday.
Major electronics firms Panasonic and Canon have temporarily suspended production at factories in China after a territorial dispute over a group of uninhabited islets in the East China Sea triggered violent anti-Japanese protests.
Sites linked to auto manufacturers Toyota and Honda have also been attacked in the unrest, which has forced frightened expatriates into hiding and sent relations between Asia's two biggest economies into crisis.
Ratcheting up tensions further on Monday, Chinese state media warned Japan it could suffer another "lost decade" if trade ties soured. Japan counted China as its top trade partner last year, with total two-way trade of more than $340 billion.
Tyrone Siu / Reuters
A demonstrator kicks a glass window of the Japanese Seibu department store during a protest in Shenzhen, China, on Sunday.
A report in the Japan Times on Monday, posted on Twitter, said 1,000 fishing boats were sailing towards the disputed islands - a move likely to further inflame tensions.
"I'm not going out today and I've asked my Chinese boyfriend to be with me all day tomorrow," said Sayo Morimoto, a 29-year-old Japanese graduate student at a university in Shenzhen.
Breaking news: 1,000 Chinese fishing boats to arrive near Senkakus by late Monday � Kyodo
— The Japan Times(@japantimes) September 17, 2012
Protests broke out across dozens of Chinese cities at the weekend, some violent, in response to the Japanese government's decision last week to buy some of the disputed islands from a private Japanese owner. The move incensed Beijing.
Much at stake for US as tensions rise in troubled China Seas
In Tokyo, electronics giant Panasonic Corp said Monday it has suspended production at two electronics components factories in China and closed another, telling workers to stay at home after the facilities were attacked by anti-Japan protesters.
Atsushi Hinoki, a Tokyo-based Panasonic spokesman, said another plant in China has been closed after several workers "sabotaged" operations in the factory. The plant will also remain closed until Tuesday - a memorial day in China when it marks the anniversary of Japan's 1931 occupation of parts of mainland China.
Afp / AFP - Getty Images
Chinese demonstrators set fire to a Japanese national flag during a protest over the Diaoyu islands issue, known as the Senkaku islands in Japan, in Wuhan, China, on Sunday.
Meanwhile, Canon Inc is set to suspend operations at three of its four plants in China on Monday and Tuesday. It will halt production lines at its laser printer factory in Guangdong, a digital camera factory in Guangdong, and a copier plant in Jiangsu, Japanese media reported.
The protests focused mainly on Japanese diplomatic missions but also targeted shops, restaurants and car dealerships in at least five cities. Toyota and Honda reported arson attacks had badly damaged their stores in Qingdao.
Japan protests after man seizes flag from ambassador's car in Beijing
Many Japanese schools across China, including in Beijing and Shanghai, have cancelled classes this week.
Japanese Prime Minister Yoshihiko Noda, who met visiting U.S. Defense Secretary Leon Panetta on Monday, urged Beijing to ensure Japan's people and property were protected.
"It is in everybody's interest ... for Japan and China to maintain good relations and to find a way to avoid further escalation," he told reporters In Tokyo.
Panetta said Sunday he is concerned the territorial disputes in the Asia-Pacific region could spark provocations and result in violence that could involve other nations, such as the United States.
'Conflict'
Speaking to reporters on his plane en route to a weeklong trip in the region, Panetta said he will urge countries here to find a way to peacefully resolve their problems. He arrived Sunday in Tokyo, the first stop of his trip.
"I am concerned that when these countries engage in provocations of one kind or another over these various islands that it raises the possibility that a misjudgment on one side or the other could result in violence and could result in conflict and that conflict would then, you know, have the potential of expanding," Panetta said.
The defense chief said his conversations with the Japanese and Chinese would echo what Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton told them earlier this month — that they must find a process for settling the disputes. The U.S., he said, does not take a position with regard to the disputed lands.
Protesters in China attack Japanese factories in a show of anger over a territorial dispute between the two countries. NBCNews.com's Dara Brown reports.
More China coverage from our Behind the Wall blog
The dispute over the islands -- called the Senkaku by Japan and the Diaoyu by China -- intensified last week when China sent six surveillance ships to the area, which contains potentially large gas reserves, in response to Japan's purchase.
The overseas edition of the People's Daily, the main newspaper of the Chinese Communist Party, warned that Beijing could resort to economic retaliation if the dispute festers.
"How could be it be that Japan wants another lost decade, and could even be prepared to go back by two decades," said a front-page editorial in the newspaper. China "has always been extremely cautious about playing the economic card," it said.
A Chinese man holds up a piece of paper with the words "Diaoyu island belongs to China, Japanese get out" outside the Japanese embassy in Beijing, China, Sept 11.
"But in struggles concerning territorial sovereignty, if Japan continues its provocations, then China will take up the battle," the paper said.
China is Japan's biggest trade partner and Japan is China's third largest. Any harm to business and investment ties would be bad for both economies at a time when China faces a slowdown.
Qingdao police announced on the Internet on Monday they had arrested a number of people suspected of "disrupting social order" during the protests, apparently referring to the attacks on Japanese-operated factories and shops there.
China's 7.6 percent growth rate is the lowest in three years – but the country's economic problems appear more dire than the latest numbers indicate. Some believe the government will counter the downturn with a massive stimulus package, a strategy that has left China's local banks saddled with bad debt in the past. NBC's Ian Williams reports from Beijing.
In Shanghai, home to China's biggest Japanese expatriate population of 56,000, one expat said his family as well as other Japanese customers had been chased out of a Japanese restaurant on Sunday by protesters near the Japanese consulate.
Guangzhou police said on Monday, on an official microblog, that they had detained 11 people for smashing up a Japanese-brand car, shop windows and billboards on Sunday.
The Associated Press and Reuters contributed to this report.
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- Four NATO soldiers killed in Afghan 'insider' attack
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i heard that the pandas are considering leaving because it is hard to breathe in china. maybe if they lessen some of the factories and buildings and follow the Tao they will stay.
Chinese need to remember the islands belong to Japan and the Natural Gas and Oil under them. The US supports Japan not China. The Chinese government is making the people protest. I could pull a hair for what the Chinese government thinks. I hope China stops trading with the US and Japan oh I would so love that. So to the Chinese Government I say UP YOURS. LOL
If the US keeps provoking China with all the stealing jobs, communism, setting up missile defense, I wouldn't be surprised if American properties and businesses get attacked in China. Riot at Foxconn, will result in no Apple products in US and GM sells more than 50% of its cars in China. It will then likely negatively impact the US economy which is very fragile right now. Obviously the Chinese government is not stopping these protests and letting the crowd to wreak havoc on Japanese businesses.
Foxconn is a contractor that includes Apple as one of its many customers; but Foxconn is a Chinese Corporation in its entirety. Thus if the protesters tear it down board by board it will be a totally Chinese asset they will have destroyed......therefore, I say to the protesters: get it goin and tear that damn thing down! This may be just the opportunity some US tech contractors need to get BACK in the business with some of the higher end devices that have been lost to Chinese contractors that build the same product for almost a 50% reduction in overall cost. This may be the Big Black Cloud we have been waiting for.....with the big Shiny SILVER LINING!!!
tom
I believe it's, the sales in china is up 50% not that over 50% of all cars gm sells are sold to china. I also believe a lot of those gm cars. Are made in china and most of those models are not sold in the in the us.
one man, under what court of international law, or in what treaty, has this been decided?
The possession of these islands are in dispute; that is all the article says. Any claim about their actual possession is an open question.
As to the U.S. getting directly involved, on one side or the other? Bad idea.
The disputed islands are part of the same volcanic chain that formed Japan to begin with. Hell, China claims sovereignty over the entire China Sea, irregardless that many other country's shores border it.
Maybe if companies would stop contracting with China for cheap goods, China wouldn't need so many natural resources?
China is flexing its muscles. I hope we are taking note of how low they are prepared to go to intimidate its trading partners with their bully tactics and part and parcel of this are peoples’ protests, give me a break, it’s all being orchestrated by the government. That’s how the communists do it.
As for Japan, stand your ground, China needs your business. They won’t pull the plug out and sink their own economy anytime soon.
GM sells more cars in China than america in absolute numbers, 10M in China opposed to about 8M in America. It is the worlds largest auto market. GM builds all cars and tooling to make those cars in china, and the company splits its profits with the Chinese govt, which acts as a 50% owner.
If this had been a pro-democracy protest against the Chinese government, the gov would have rolled out the tanks and gunned everyone down, but since it's anti-Japan, hey, knock yourselves out. The party never stops.
Flnobody........yeah, GM sends all their suspect quality cars to China. LOL!
It's Obama's fault. He's too soft.
maybe if china wanted the islands they should have opened their wallet first
I took the trouble to google these islands, under their Japanese name. They may be a part of the same geological formation as the Islands of Japan, but they are closest to Taiwan, hundreds of miles from Japan and from China.
So much for geology as a determinant of national borders.
According to the wikipedia history, they were a Chinese possession from the 1400s until 1895, when Japan took control of them. This is about the same time as the Japanese-Russian war, which resulted in the sinking of two Russian fleets, so we can make certain broad assumptions as to the balance of power between Japan and China at that time.
How does one make a determination regarding the proper sovereignty of these islands, which were of no use until gas and oil reserves were discovered in the surrounding seas?
I do know that one thing the world does not need right now is another geopolitical hot-spot, like Israel, like Iran, or like Libya.
Unfettered human expansion is coming home to roost. It has begun....
Ya know... we teach our children to solve their issues without fighting. I wonder when our leaders are going to grow up and do the same. "Those are mine"... "no, their mine"... "kids, kids, no pushing"
With nuclear warheads 90 miles of the Florida coast, Kennedy and Kruschev struggled against their administrations and achieved a peaceful solution. Hopefully these people can act like adults someday soon.
I choose Japan but then its only a protest and you see who's not civilized..
Japan can make their own islands far better than these pieces of worthless rock. Please, give it up already. Its not worth what you stand to loose in a trading partner.
NPR journalist had an interview with a Chinese protester. Protester said the government tells who and who cannot protest. The protester being interviewed was surrounded by police, but refused to answer the question whether or not he was a policeman. So it appears Chinese policeman are being paid to protest in plain clothes.
I don't trust anything the Chinese government says.
Japan and China. Israel and Iran. U.S. and Russia over Israel and Iran. European economy on the edge of disaster that could suck America and the rest of the world into economic chaos.
Everything is falling in place for WWIII.
Obama should send a message to Japan. We have tens of millions of square feet of empty manufacturing space in the US. We have the infrastructure and workers. And we are your best customers. We could give them free land in Detroit or old buildings just pay the taxes and set up shop. Ohio wants your businesses not you islands. China is trying to pull a Tibet by claiming someone 600 years ago sailed by those islands and recorded them on a map. By Their way of thinking Venice has claim to China as well as much of Asia because it was discovered by Marco Polo in the late 1200's (1271-1295). Or maybe China should belong to Mongolia since they had possession of China at the time of Marco Polo's travels.
It is the US fault. We should have kept the islands after winning the Pacific war. Then they will have had no reason to argue about. I hate when we give back land we occupied. If China has interest with the islands they should have began their claim and headed for the UN to initiate process as soon as US handed the islands to Japan. It is too late now to claim the islands since it has been in Japans hand almost for a half century since wwii.
Japan picks heads. China stand back please, the coin is in the air. There problem resolved. Sorry China, this one could not be bought.
China has stolen our job so we have issues with that. Any opportunity to break that theft of job is welcome. China has also been threatening our close friend Philippine, Singapore, Malaysia, Vietnam, Borneo and Brunei that China interest includes the door steps of this small countries. So it is not like we do not have countries with grievances. China should mellow down and let Tibet be free and Mongol be Mongol. They have become a big plunderer in Africa and there is issue there as well. So China may in deep water with every corner unless they tone down their rhetoric.
Now this is funny. The "people" of China don't do anything on this magnitude without the blessings of the government and I say "people" in to sense that these are not representative of the ordinary people but rather the political pawns of the government. The ordinary people of China probably don't even know there the island is much less care about who it belongs to. Much like many ordinary people of this country couldn't even tell you where Afghanistan is on the world atlas.
LOL For America, it's always about the OIL!!!
Thanks for bailing out GM Mr. President, you saved jobs, and afforded GM the opportunity to regain it's strength in motor vehicle sales!
One Man - the CHinese government is not making the people protest; As is evidenced in this country, alll it takes is a litttle propaganda to inflame people about something that has absolutely no efffect on them. It's very similar to the posters on the internet who scream and whine about Obama being a COmmmunist, a "Socilaist." "a Muslim traitor, etc." THey act like he comes over everyday and confiscates any money lying around as welll as any weapons they migtht possses when in actuality anything the PResident does doe snot even touch them.
We have made China the belligerent powerhouse that it is. The stupid, greedy American government by creating mountains of rules and regulations, oppressive environmental and workplace rules and expense, taxes, incredible hoops to jump through to build or expand. The government borrowing of trillions from China. We act like a meth addict, pawning our last possessions, just to get that cash to support our out of control spending and pandering.
Thuggish unions have forced companies to move manufacturing overseas by being...well, thuggish. They forget, the company owns the job. They strike and demand themselves right down to the supermarket, stocking shelves and bagging groceries. But it's OK since they didn't let the Company put anything over on them.
The American public wants more crap and they want to be able to buy it on their stretched income. We don't care if the quality sucks, it's made by slave labor, it poisons us, it reduces our standard of living in the end, closes plants, empowers an enemy and causes irrevocable harm to the country. We just want it because we saw the ad on AGT and our neighbor has it.
Do you think those protesters would be out there breaking stuff, if the Chinese government didn't want them to be? What will we do when China turns on us? And they will, it's a matter of time. We have become China's b@#$h. Greed and stupidity have caused that. We will regret allowing that to happen.
Looks like the Chinese workers haven't figured out that if the plants close they don't get paid. This appears to be orchestrated by Gov't. China is simply out to acquire as much mineral/oil/gas resources as posssible. They have 1.3 billion people who want more of everything, like Americans.
Gas and oil in the area that China wants now after over a hundred years? This is akin to the deadbeat dad that left the mother to raise the kid that became a rich famous child star. Now he tells how much he loves the child and wants to come back home.
notacommie --- There are a lot of reason why it's cheaper to manufacture in China. And many of those reasons are because China is a Communist Government. Their Coal Mines, Electricity production and distribution, Trash collection and land fills. Railroads, Ports, and most other things are all owned and run by the Government like a nonprofit. The GOP would love for us to adopt Chinese working standards. If you lose a arm working in a Chinese factory you get fired. If your family is getting sick because the factory next door is poisoning the air in your neighborhood shut up and die. China's way is not what we should be emulating. If that's what you want You and the Koch brothers and Rupert Murdoch can all move to China.
Wow. Thanks all for proof that any idiot with a computer and rudimentary literacy can post to the comment section.
@kornfed,
Some days you kinda remind me of Nostradamus:)
Zuksam,
Agree with you almost all the way. The only difference is that we don't need the POTUS for this one.
Here in Ohio just have Gov. Kasich, Mayor Frank Jackson- Cleveland,, Mayor Donald L. Plusquellic - Akron, Mayor Michael Coleman - Columbus, .............etc.
Michigan Governor Rick Snyder , Detroit Mayor Dave Bing........etc.
Throw in a few businessman such as Dan Gilbert and such then just go direct to Japan.
State and local tax breaks for companies will match employment levels. Hire more pay less all the way down to $0.00. Heck if they are "Great" job creators send them a check:) At least the people with jobs will have money for taxes, bills and other needs plus reduce the unemployment demand and such.
Kuksam- REALLY? GOP communism? Obama is the communist you joker. Pull your head out of your rear, I think the lack of oxygen has given you brain damage.
China, the new world bully. I understand they are flexing their muscles. The only irony is all the people who thing, "Oooh, China is SOO great! And the US is such a terrible nation!" LOL. Stunads.
notacommie,
Don't think for a moment that the fact that China likes to subsidize the h#ll out of products and materials doesn't play into it as well. This isn't Japan during the 80's China is a whole different ballgame. Japan was just what we needed to get a kickstart again in fact probably the best thing to kick us out of our complacency. Friends at Walton Hills, Twinsburg, Lordstown auto plants would say that the Japanese worked for rice which was total B.S. as they had a very good living and job security. China's sheer numbers alone are formadable. Years ago I said "Don't Wake the Sleeping Dragon" (a play on Admiral Yamamoto's saying about the U.S. if you will) most people thought it was funny. The only ones that never laughed were my friends and family from Hong Kong, Taiwan,Macau, etc...that immagrated and lived down in Asia Town. They were very concerned as well.
This is getting zero news coverage. I wonder why? The media no longer reports on any sort of protesting unless it favors the US. The common thread amongst all these protests is economics. Japan has been in a hole for a long time. The US is in a hold. China is seeing a slowdown which means people out of work. When all boats float on credit, nobody cared much about all the underlying issues, but now that is not true. What never gets said is that everybody is after the same pie wanting a bigger slice and clearly every country cannot be a winner. So if the US declines other countries have potential to get a bigger share of the pie. Same is true with Europe that is sinking as well.
Since when can Oil and Natural Gas own property?
Bad,
RE: "REALLY? GOP communism"
Read it again basically it sounds like Zuksam is saying that the GOP would like to remove goverment restrictions (clean air, water,soil,etc) and possible some safety restrictions from companies as well. China has little to none of these though they are starting to look at adding more due to pollution and health issues. He did say that China is communist but he didn't say that the GOP were :)
I'm not picking a fight so I hope none of this sounds partisan or snotty on my part sir :)
Imperial,
You said that China has become a big plunderer in Africa? And Europe and the US are not?
Or are you so presumptuous as to believe that Africa is a property of the US, and that it is right for the US to plunder Africa, but that China does not have that right?
Africa welcomes plundering China with opened arms. Africa is indeed hoping to get something from the plundering Chinese: A little bit of knowledge in exchange for the plundered resources. Something that it has never gotten from any of the other plunderers.
When you seek reasons to go to war against China, please do not include Africa in your list. Africa is not your property, in spite of what you may be thinking.
theboys,
"What never gets said is that everybody is after the same pie wanting a bigger slice and clearly every country cannot be a winner. "
What makes sense would be to create a bigger pie, then, wouldn't it? Why fight over what there is, instead of working to expand what is available, then everyone has more to go around. Basic economics, but then again I doubt many people, politicians included, have ever taken any kind of economics course.
I'm by no means a conspiracy theorist, but I do agree with others that the Chinese government most likely is supporting these protests even if it is only with media coverage. Just look at how China deals with protests they do not approve of: Tiananmen square in 1989. Chinese military killed anywhere from 189-3000 people and wounded 4000-10000 more. There are no exact figures because the Chinese government locked the media out following the massacre, it is still forbidden by the government to discuss the 1989 protests, and in China you can't even google it, you just get the noble history of the pretty square and how communism triumphed over imperialism.
It's hard to believe that the government that censors the media so much will allow protests that it denounces be broadcast.
Hey Japan! We've got some premo business development property available here in the US you might want to consider. I'm just saying.....
Time for Government Electric (GE) to do the same thing.....close it's "sweat" shops in China and relocate back to the U.S.
Wait a minute....the CEO GE is Mr. Barry Soetoro's Jobs Czar but was instrumental in "starting" the exodus of U.S. workers to China.
Nah, couldn't be. This would be in conflict with Mr. Barry Soetoro's campaign speeches.
They are protesting what the Chinese government is, and that's Japan.
They only allow the protests that are allowed.
This should be the top of the news. It is on the BBC, but not even every American news network is carrying this story. (Thanks NBC.)
The pictures speak thousands of words: these are violent protests, no calm "occupy" movements. America does not take sides at all. However, America also should bring all our factories back to the U.S., just in case violence of this kind might be a possibility. Our workers could use the jobs, and the Chinese are much less likely to allow investors to keep their money than the U.S. That would help both the poor and the rich in the U.S., because eventually the rich aren't going to get any of their money that they have invested outside the U.S.
And Joe in NY, I agree. Akron, Ohio is already geared for manufacturing; we could use the jobs anywhere in the U.S. (Akron helped NYC after 9/11: we sent a huge ladder fire truck and paramed ambulance. We are glad that Pres. Obama brought back the auto industry, but we are still short of jobs and still have people moving elsewhere to find work.)
Actually..this is interesting..I have to wonder just how many more companies would like to be in China now ? I also wonder just hoiw long before China makes claim to those companies and takes them over ? Romney and his wealthy friewnds have loved the ideas of cheap labor and using China among others....I would think however that this shows the very best reaon for NOT using other countries for anything. The time is coming for the USA and China to go head to head..If Romney gets elected..it may be sooner than anyone would like to see.
It is totally ridiculous that China is throwing a tantrum and threatening Japan because a private owner (Japanese) of the islands sold them to Japan. It makes absolutely no sense. But, why would we expect the leaders of China to apply sense and logice. It's been in Japanese control for a long time. Now that oil and minerals are being discovered in that area, as well as areas of other smaller Asian countries, the big bully China wants it for themselves. Plain and simple. They are out of line. Why the international community doesn't just verify the ownership according to the latest records and say so is also ridiculous. Having lived in Japan over a 20 year span of time I have seen the changes first hand.
Just like other countries around the world, when you are having trouble in your own backyard, spin some propoganda and channel that anger onto another country, encourage some rioting. The Chinese economic machine is slowing after rapid expansion. They are now experiencing their own self-induced real estate bubble. Whole cities built that no one lives in. Wages have gone up once rights were demanded. They have tons of educated young people and still no jobs (the ant tribe). Being Communist, they have been able to prop things up and change directions. It won't hold up forever.
interesting....
when China has some inside personal government unrest where anti government protests might take place, it hardly makes the news because it it shut down before it gets a chance to happen.
I love seeing the little Chinese drones waving their state sponsored Flags.
Hey China Foxconn is owned by Apple and Japan LOL
Attack of the Drones LOL I can her it now Here you hold this flag you pick up the poster you yell LOL
In 1890 through 1930's Japan built up from a feudal-agrarian society to an industrial soceity. Feeling their oats, they started pushing around the countries near them who were not as advanced and had limited power to resist. Advance 100 years and what do you see ? China has been handed a lot on modern technology by western corporations and military, they have stolen as much and they are emboldened by the stupidity of the governments allowing it as they know it is against the interest of the US and westerns countries to allow this to happen. This is clearly a sign of weakness to them. The Japanese are not allowed offensive military capability, the US has foolishly entangled itself and wasted it's strength where it doesn't matter. Who can counterbalance the Chinese now ? They are feeling their oats, just like it has been done before 100 years ago.
Only problem IReadyou is that China lacks the naval power and air power to commit to a war in the pacific. A few carrier groups sitting by Japan will make them think twice. Not to mention the Air Force bases we have sit up in Japan and neighboring areas. It's a lose lose for China.
China can nationalize those assets anytime they want. The technology in place installed free of charge to them by Japan and western gubmints/corporations is staggering. Boeing is build a mega billion dollar "research" facility there now. How much Chinese technology will be transferred to Boeing to be brought out of China v how much western technology Boeing will give to China do you think will happen ? Millions of Chinese have been educated in European, American, Canadian and Japanese and Korean Universities. They returned to China to take the jobs we exported to China. It is silly to talk of Japanese ans western "ownership" like western contract law somehow will matter in China. And all this has been happening under the watchful eyes of the Bush and Obama Administrations in succession. While Hillary is bogged down in shattered Libyan worries China is positioning itself for a monster huge resource grab. China is simply and predictably taking the next step as they see it. They are watching to see how you westerners and the Japanese react. This is weak v strong now. Take your understanding of contracts and property rights and chew on it.
Daghaus, it's a 40 to 60 year process. What you see now, ignoring the direction of things, gives you comfort and makes you sleepy to what they are doing. This, they enjoy.
If you think China can some how make a giant leap in naval power and air power in a few months then something is horribly wrong with you. They buy all of their weapons from Russia they hardly develop any weapons systems in country. China has two options 1. suck it up and let Japan have the islands since it's their's anyway or 2. Stop trading with Japan which will only hurt China since China needs Japan more than Japan needs china or 3. Invade and take the islands which will be met by swift action from many countries. Also by the time they even get close to having a good navy or air force we'll be that much more ahead. We already have a new line of super carriers being built as we speak and by then also a 6th and 7th generation fighter jet. They will always lag behind in military technology.
Wonder what would happen if the USA and Japan would move their manufacturing out of china? Wow jobs in the USA, GE would be an American company again...woohoo.
It may be time to unchain Japan. We could sell them many of our old navy ships we have mothballed. We have many planes and weapons systems that are out of date by our military standards but are still much better than anything China has. By selling these things to Japan we could pay down some of our debt while letting Japan take some responsibility for their own defense. China can not be allowed to take possession of these islands. Because within one year of taking these islands they will take Taiwan. These islands a just a way for them to test the waters. This is how conquest starts. Japan and Germany did the same things in the 1930's. They tested the waters and found no resistance so they tried to take over the World.
Amazing huh, hey, you don't need any weapons to protect yourself. Kind of like Iran right now, Israel can't wait to attack them, at the same time telling them, "you don't need any weapons to protect yourself."
History repeats itself every so often, this time it will be called WWIII.
If you notice, china is a Military country America hardly messes with. We are too busy pushing around little countries who have massive amounts of oil, or little countries who DON'T do what WE tell the to do.
Things like this reminds me of the Boxer Rebellion which took place in 1900 in China, how arrogant Americans, and Europeans are in other's countries. The Chinese are shown in accordance with western prejudices, ridiculously long-nails, speaking in (almost) inscrutable phrases, and fundamentally inferior to westerners.
Nothing new here, most of you posting here have the same attitude as you showed in 1900.
Well Japan could suspend all trade and manufacturing in and with China.. That would cost it about a billion a day, this they may notice of I think.. US citizens could boycott all China made goods no matter what the parent company was.. All those out of work people in the Chin will become very unhappy without all those things they have become used to like paychecks and food.. They may start protests and riots against their dictator masters.. I agree that most if not all the riots in the Middle East and China were orchestrated by the governments of these countries..
We know that China has built at least 3 super carriers in the last 5 years and has a huge fleet of subs.. They have no need for a coastal defense fleet of mid sized ships as they wield the 200 mile range anti ship Silk Worm Missile.. This patriotic statment {If you think China can some how make a giant leap in naval power and air power in a few months then something is horribly wrong with you. They buy all of their weapons from Russia they hardly develop any weapons systems in country.} you are foolish.. China now has the worlds largest manufacturing base and largest number of skilled workers so any thought of a war of attrition should be discarded.. By the time we are able to ramp up to war level production {about 2 years}the Chinese will have invaded and taken over the US.. Our reserves of munitions will only last about 60 days in an all out shooting war.. Remember our military was all but kicked out of Japan and is now stationed 1000 miles away at Guam I believe.. Hope everyone has their big boy pants on as things are going sour real fast.......
Roadrunnero --- China doesn't have chance in hell of invading and conquering the USA. But they could take S.Korea, Taiwan, India, Mongolia, All of South East Asia, Maybe even Australia. Not the USA though We have too many tanks and planes and bombs. We would nuke them if they tried.
For all those saying that we should just park a carrier group off Japan because China doesn't have a fleet, you do realize that China has successfully tested super-sonic missiles that have the ability to sink a carrier, right? China has begun the process to make carriers obsolete. They build a $10 million missile, we build a $4.5 billion aircraft carrier that they can sink with 2 missiles...... you do the math people.
roadrunnero, I agree with most of what you say, however it would take less time then you might believe to change the US to wartime production. Given the right motivations (impending invasion by hostile country) we could change to wartime production in less than 6 months.
Speaking of Chinese interests in its surrounding area: There are colonies of Chinese in Afganistan, protected by American troops.
But what about its air and naval might? China has rockets, and nukes; it doesn't take much to cause a huge amount of havoc.
If you march a million people across a border, it almost doesn't matter if they have weapons; that's just so many people that it is hard to stop. They have over a billion people. While their government claimed that every family had only one child, the population managed to grow, which would be impossible if every family had only one child, or even most families.
Knife104 just because they claim it can destroy our carriers doesn't make it true. Not to mention it would have to fly through a picket of Aegis cruisers along with ships that have the Phalanx CIWS system on them including the carriers for point defense against incoming missiles. Please do some research and now what your talking about before you tell us to do the math lol.
What China SAYS they have and what they ACTUALLY have are completely different things.
This is a major victory for Japan and a major defeat for China. This will go into the history books. Their is so much Natural Gas and Oil under the Islands it will give Japan so much money they will rule this area for a long time.
The US corporations need to stop supporting Chinese Military.
China forced GM to give over it's Volt plans or they would not allow them to build cars in China.
China forced GM to build all Cadillac's for China in China.
General Motors agreed to sponsor a propaganda film celebrating the 90th anniversary of the Chinese Communist Party (CCP).
China needs to let go of Tibet also they have murdered many of the people there. The Chinese Military needs go home and leave Tibet alone.
AND Hong Kong AND Taiwan....
AND Philippines and Vietnam.
Yeah, good luck with all those geopolitical pipe dreams!
Everybody is just so ready for globalization.
One of 2 things is happening:
China is loosing control of its population and the people really are protesting the sale of these islands.
Or, China is sponsoring these protests to basically "throw a temper tantrum" that they tried to strong arm control of these islands away from Japan and didn't think the quickest way to get them was to buy them, like Japan did.
Personally I find it a little hard to believe that all these people would be upset about a small group of islands that they most likely have never seen and probably are not completely sure where they are even located. I think the best thing that could happen to other countries economies, in the long run but not at first, would to be expelled from China and have to bring production "home" again. Would do wonders for struggling economies for their workers to make enough money to afford to buy non-necessities again.
For those of you who think the Chinese government told/sponsored their people to riot, you're dead wrong. I teach in China and I've lived here for three years. First of all, the Chinese people absolutely hate Japan because of what the Japs did to their people in Nanjing. The atrocities that happened there, such as Japs throwing babys up in the air and catching them on bayonets is only a start. The Chinese people are a proud people just like anyone else in their own country and they believe these islands have belonged to them for five thousand years. When I saw this on the news I thought that they would send their military there to take these islands back but so far they haven't or won't, whatever the case may be. It's not a good day for Japanese living in this country and it could turn out to be, it's not a good day for Americans either because of what's happend. I've read the Embassys warning on the website for Americans to vere away from any groups of people that are hostile but I haven't seen anything where I live at this time in Nanning, Guangxi. Glad America isn't engaging itself in this dispute!!!
That was in the past and has nothing to do with this China is trying to start a war with Japan because they want the Natural Gas and Oil under the Islands nothing more.
China still is murdering Tibetan people last week in protest Tibetan Teens set themselves on fire.
The Japanese own the Islands the US gave them back. If it was not for the US/Britain and western forces during WWII their would be no China no Chi-Coms only Japan.
Japan is a peaceful country who stood up to a giant.
The Drone protesters are being paid by the Chinese Government. Drones that is all they are. The flags the banners all given to them. Even the camera and movies are Chinese controlled by the State.
You want to see a real protest look at the footage from Tiananmen Square protests of 1989 now that is a real protest.
To China I say "If it is war your want let it start here and now"
I can assure you, if China wanted to start a war with Japan they wouldn't be sending fishing boats there, more-over, just about every Chinese citizen has a flag, small and big, so that in itself destroys your math. Educate yourself.
It is hard to believe that in a country where all news is state sponsored and any other sources are censored, that they did not ratchet up this incident in the news and encourage people to revolt against Japanese Companies...
China is in for another economic trade shock today; Obama will announce a new WTO filing on Chinese auto parts being illegally dumped onto US markets.
The Chinese do not play fair. They manipulate currency and place tariffs on American goods, then bitch when we place tariffs on illegally dumped subsidized goods they export to us.
I do not expect China to seek a resolution to the islands in an international court, because they know they would lose. I expect them to use military force. If they do, the entire globe needs to boycott Chinese goods.
That's why they sent 8 military patrol cruisers....
I hope China tries something against Japan give our Pacific fleet something to do. Sick and tired of China playing dirty. Japan good job on standing up to them and telling them to @!$%# off.
^^ LOL Here we go, war-monger!!
I love how people speak as if they have everything pegged. Life has way more nuances than "one or 2 things".
Straighttothepoint,
"the japs"? A little bit of a racial slur wouldn't you say?
Straight to the Point,
Oh and China is soooo innocent when it expanded it's empire back in the day! China ruling Asia, Japan ruling China. Two wrongs don't make a right. Time to move on. If China wants to be taken seriously as a modern nation they need to grow the hell up and quite acting like a bully to the smaller surrounding nations when they can't have what they want. Which is basically all of the "China Sea", all gas, oil and minerals. It's located in other countries, oh well, minor details.
The average citizen is always caught in the middle when governments go to war. Just as the Japanese men were forced to fight, most simply scared young people. Sure, some savages committed the atrocites you mentioned, there are those people in every civilization, and China had them too. Living in China you should know the Asian mind set of community, your leaders are right, follow authority. The country of Japan learned lessons from what the people at the top put them through and is a different country now. China is going through its growing pains suspended between Communism and Capitalism. Let's hope they get it right.
When it comes to bullying size doesn't matter, Japan was much smaller than China when it attacked. And it is not 'some savages' commiting the atrocites mentioned, it was the Japanese army killing defenseless people. Not to mention the Japanese also attacked other asian countries hoping to expand their territory.
Time for the corporations to learn why it was such a bad idea to shift all manufacturing to China. Corporations think to much in the short term, and don't always consider the long term ramifications. China now has their factories and their technology. They really don't need the corporate masters any longer!
I think we need to claim the islands so that China and Japan will both stop trading with us Now that would be a great day.
That would be a terrible idea because as speculated China wants the oil and natural gas under the island and Japanese thinks it's theirs. If America claims the island it would shift the anger on to us and damage foreign relations. The U.S. also has a tendency to butt into other people's business. If China and Japan stopped trading with the U.S. product prices will increase, where do you think your computer came from?
Fighting over uninhabited islands is ridiculous. They should divide them in half.
Dear China,
Please keep rioting and burning stuff until your entire country is smoldering ash and nothing is left.
Sincerely,
Me.
PS: go after Foxconn... Please help manufacturing jobs go back where they belong. It will forunately for you, get us out of your worthless Communist freedom oppressing dump.
Dear Zapix,
America likes staying in the worthless Communist freedom oppressing dump.
Sincerely,
Me.
When will China learn that they are not the center of the world? They will deny Japan the opportunity to spend money with the glorious Peoples Republic? Get real.
It will be far easier for Japan find a new recipient for all their money than China will to find a new country to give them money.
Better yet, how about China cuts off all ungrateful nations like Japan and the U.S. and see who's economy tanks fastest. When their new middle class starts losing ground the Tienanmen Square incident will seem like a favorite time from the good old days.
This could be the "silver cloud" that manufacturing facilities in the US and Europe have been praying for. An opportunity to regain business lost to the Chinese could very well be the stimulus that manufacturing base has waiting for to revitalize and reestablish them as viable in the world market. If serious delays and cancellations occur as a result of these tensions that can very well become full blown hostilities breaking out, then vendors will have no choice but to fill orders utilizing contractors that are capable of filling their orders, period.
The US and South Korea have been doing a lot of business.. Europe could also use the boost to its economy.. Once the purse strings start strangling them the real riots will start.. Short term economic turmoil for the world is coming and Obama will not know what to do but apologise.. Stock up on basic necessities like food and fuel, also remember to be loaded and locked because many people wont be ready..
All about oil money! The masses are just used by a few in the know.
What a wonderful world! Oil, money, and the exploitation of workers.
Eventually most items that now say MADE IN CHINA, will say MADE IN AFRICA.
Not likely that most items produced will ever say MADE IN ARICA. China is slowly buying up Africa as well, so you may see a few Chinese factories there manufacturing or finishing goods for shipment to the U.S., which China ALREADY OWNS. You sure as hell won't see those products manufactured in the U.S........thanks primarily to the UNIONS which drove the Manufacturing base we USED to ENJOY to CHINA IN THE FIRST PLACE. Next thing you know we will be importing TEACHERS to our shores to replace the incompetent ones we have now. Thanks to the GREEDY Teachers' Unions and our DIMOCRAP FRIENDS "across the aisle" who LOVE the Unions (for their Votes and $$$$$$) and tend to ignore the calamitous end result of their ACTIONS as THUGS!!! Maybe we could even import Politicians and a President who give a rats' ass about something more than THEIR jobs and THEIR Bank Accounts. My, how the phucking worm turns!!!
No american will work 18 hours a day at $1 an hour. That isn't the fault of the unions.
I think you are correct, although it will be awhile before that happens because the "power structure" will wait until the "culling" that is taking place in Africa runs its intended course. The HIV/AIDS outbreak in Africa is no accident, it is a concerted effort to eliminate a population that has a majority that is uneducated and offers no perceived benefit to a society that sees them as a huge drain of resources with no actual value to the society as a whole. I know what a horrible thing that is to hear and say but I really believe this is the truth behind this epidemic that is out of control in such a huge way that 1 in 3 heterosexual women are infected with HIV. Think about it, how could this happen? VACCINATIONS and the United Nations Health Care Efforts that have been so highly concentrated in Africa, with the most horrifically miserable failure rate in the history of modern medicine. WHY? To Cull The Herd, that's why. Then once that is accomplished a world effort will be made to AID in a recovery Program that will Modernize Africa and that will usher in the "revolution" of a modern manufacturing base and functional Hospitals will grow out of the ruins as will all sorts of industries that will take advantage of the Corporate Incentives to relocate in that part of the world. You will note also that South Africa is NOT under the epidemic conditions that the rest of Africa is, and that is because it is ALREADY a modernized society with a fairly well educated or trained population. As such it is not necessary to fully Cull that particular Herd. Sounds crazy, well just read after doing searches on the HIV/AIDS epidemic in Africa and the United Nations Efforts and it will become obvious to an individual with even average intelligence, this world we live in is becoming an even greater EVIL than what we have witnessed in the last few decades, the "evil power brokers" are ramping up their efforts and this is a frightening thing; Please Read and think about the possibilities of that content you have read, its all there, you just have to be willing to recognize what is being stated.
The dastardly, dirty unions became a necessity because of greedy rich people that couldn't give a damn about their employees. At a time when the middle class is shrinking and the rich are now 258 times richer, it is not time to blame unions. I blame greedy boards of corporations that also abuse tax codes to keep from paying their fair share, in an effort to please the almighty stockholder.
Crooked politicians (both sides) are to blame also Unions for many years.
Agree that the way the Super rich has been sheelded by the politicians.
We need honest politicians the states that they are working for the people and not for their own good.
When does a politician start to spend more time on his re-election than on his job??
I'd say China, the mainly exporting "communist" country benefiting from the capitalist system has got problems.
Or is it the mainly "capitalist" countries exporting from the communist system that have problems?
dave...you mean "importing", right???
I would have said exporting jobs to China, then selling the resulting products to consumers worldwide- so that their personal profit is maximized- with no concern for the fact that slavery still prevails in China or the fact that China is everything they accuse Obama of being.
The rich no longer sell us down the river- they sell to us from across an ocean.
What will they do when there are no more customers here- because no one has a job?
I suspect it'll be right back to selling us down the river- because we'll all be slaves- or serfs.
It doesn't have to be that way- but you do have to grow a brain and stop buying every piece of Chinese gear you can possibly live without- and vote for your future, and your job, with your wallet.
I don't buy a lot of things- Apple products and Microsoft hardware, as two examples among many- because Foxconn makes most of both.
I vote with my wallet every day- and if you have an American job, it may be in some small part due to the fact that I'll willingly pay more for a product made here- because America happens to be where MY customers live.
LOL, yeah I did. And I thought I was being so clever!
This may be a precursor to Government sponsored hostilities which may be a golden opportunity for the US Government to decline making any payments on the debt accumulated with the Chinese in the form of loans that are on the verge of swamping the US Economy. A war would be a convenient situation for the US to have develop, we, the citizens think about the tragic loss of lives that would take place, but remember these people in power do not think like we do. Money and power is what they love and seek and the loss of either is a tragic occurrence to these people, but dead citizens, military or civilian are simply collateral occurrences that are a simple cost of doing business in their way of thinking, and a cost they are quite willing to pay to alleviate the debt.
The dollar will tank. It will be worth nothing because it is not backed up by anything. It is just paper.
If the USD was truly backed by nothing, I doubt it would have continued to be accepted as the "world currency" even after it was divorced from any redemption in gold or silver. It continued to be accepted as such because the fiat dollar is actually backed by something even greater than gold; it is backed by the labor, wealth and property of "The American People"!
http://www.nolanchart.com/article1094-what-backs-the-us-dollar.html
Ray has it right, but I'd also add that the dollar, not a "basket of currencies", is the de facto price of a barrel of light sweet crude.
See: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Petrocurrency
Also true is the fact that Iran accepts only the Euro as payment for their oil- explaining the actual motivation behind our current political hostility towards Iran and our amazing tolerance of the fact that most terrorism is funded by people in nations who are members of OPEC.
You great leaders start all this crap, then you want the innocent to clean it up for you.hope you choke on your Rhino horn...
All along the Chinese wanted us to think they live by Asian values, wrong answer as these mindless protests show. Typical of minions living under government control, told what to say and do. Take away the mind control and they are lost, having never made their own decisions. Just another 4th world country. Sad.
These look like chinese gov't staged protests ...first of all no one protests in China, unless the gov't allows you to do it ...secondly why would the chinese people care about some obscure uninhabited islands?? They have much larger socio-economic issues to concern themselves with ....like not being treated like canon fodder by their gov't .......such BS ...sooooooo transparent these protetsts .......
Both govt's want the islands because it is suspected their are huge oil/gas reserves in the area. ....next come the war ships
well at least they are not burning the american flag,but i'm sure corporation money is going up in smoke over all this,i really feel bad for them,lol lmao do you think gas prices will go up again due to the fighting,just another excuse to screw americans in america.
Instead they are burning the Japanese flag...
Either Japan and the United States bends over and grabs their ankles or China gets told to fookoff. Any body with a brain knows how this is going to end-up. LOL
Barry "Jimmy Carter" Obama isn't concerned since the muslim population is low in both countries
Just another "benefit" from the traitorous outsourcing of American factories and capital to a country long known to be our enemy. But that's OK, the CEO's and boards of directors who got to be filthy stinking rich won't miss a stroke in their luxurious lives. I wonder which one of our "allies" the U.S. will support.
The Pictures in this Article show grown people acting like children. We have the same in this country with the "OWS Group"
enough of these arrogant CPP
If these Chinese turn their anger toward the US, Mitt Romney and his supporters will lose a lot of money. They have moved so many factories over there, if they are all shut down, he may end up having to sell a racehorse, or something. Or at least pull some money out of a Swiss bank account.
Countries use nationalism to whip up the fanaticism of the mob, identifying an enemy and then giving the mob just enough ability to make a point against the perceived enemy. When they miscalculate, the mob can become uncontrollable resulting either in violent government oppression or violent government overthrow.
These are not muslims and the details are different but in both cases, its about who controls the energy resources. In the muslim world, its about oil and in this case its about natural gas. If there was no energy resource on these uninhabited islands neither side would care.
This all comes back to America sending our manufacturing to China - gave them the money and technology to grow and the will to expand and conquer. Well, Nixon started the suck up to China, and then Clinton sold American missile secrete and technology, in return for big campaign financing. So it's not a Democrat OR Republican sellout, it's a DC sellout. Time to kick the whole bunch out, get some new congressmen and president who will slam the door on this "free trade" trash and make American manufacturers build it here. Yes, it will raise costs, but if you are working, you can afford them - now, prices of Chinese trash are cheap, but people have no money to buy anyhow.
Says it all in a nutshell. Manufacturing needs to return to the States. Global competition is so much BS. American companies have gone overseas and created their own competition.....and with the blessing of our government. Trade agreements are a joke and one sided, and not in our favor. Middle America has been sold out for cheap TVs and electronics. More motor vehicles are next, to send our economy into a deeper "repression". Wake up Washington and all you selfserving politicians.
Diaoyu Island belongs to Japan the same way the Falklands belong to the U.K.
There is no comparison. Diaoyu Island is uninhabited. The Falklands are inhabited, the overwhelming majority of the people there are from the UK.
UDunnoBro,
You don't know bro'...it doesn't matter if they are inhabited or not. They are too small and rugged to be inhabited. It came under Japanese ownership long ago. They belong to a private citizen, Japanese none-the-less, who sold 3 to the Japanese government. He had every right to sell them to Japan. China is acting like a child and just wants them because resources have been discovered in the area. Kimi-san, you are correct. Arigato!
Now - that being said, there is another set of islands north of Hokkaido that are also in contention. Russia seized them from Japan at the end of WWII as spoils of war. They have been inhabited by Russians for 60 years. Japan would like them back, but it would be rather senseless as either the Russians would all have to relocate after 3 or 4 generations of living there, or live under Japanese governance. Neither situation seems plausable.