Looking into the Common Interests between China and the U.S.

Was America the mastermind behind the seizure of the Chinese captain at the Diaoyu Islands? We do not know. It does, however, reflect how much influence the U.S. has, as Japan announced the release of Captain Zhan the very next day after the Chinese and Japanese prime ministers’ separate meetings with the U.S. president. As the media was jumping for joy, and using headlines such as “Japan Gave In; Chinese Captain Returned with Glory” to report the event, it did not reflect the truth, and did nothing more than satisfy the country’s nationalist emotions.

According to reports from Japanese media, Japanese high officials, who were in New York to attend a United Nations meeting, decided to release the captain due to pressure from the U.S., without the acknowledgement of some members of the cabinet and the high officials of the ruling party. The Japanese government stated that it was a judicial decision. However, according to Sankei Shimbun, Chief Cabinet Secretary Yoshito Sengoku revealed on Sept. 24, during a cabinet meeting held at the Prime Minister’s Office, that they would release the Chinese trawler captain Zhan Qixion. Sengoku also told the Ministry of Justice that they made the decision due to an order they received. The same afternoon, the Naha District Public Prosecutor’s Office in Okinawa announced the release of Zhan Qixion.

According to Senkei Simbun, the sudden change of tide was a result of the pressure given by the United States. On Sept. 23, Secretary of State Hillary Clinton met with Japanese Foreign Minister Seiji Maehara in New York. She said that the Diaoyu Islands were subject to the bilateral security treaty; however, she also urged China and Japan to resolve the issue soon, before it escalated to another level, and emphasized that the relationship between the two countries was vitally important to the regional stability in Asia and that America would like the issue to be resolved by the 24th.

The release of the Chinese fishing boat captain brought protests among those in the Japanese government. Some Japanese cabinet members thought it showed a sign of weakness to China. Five members of the House of Representatives from the ruling Democratic Party of Japan put out a joint protest, claiming that the captain of the trawler had clearly violated the laws of Japan and the termination of the investigation and the release of the suspect trampled the laws of Japan, which could not be tolerated. Other parties, such as the Liberal Democratic Party, also criticized the decision on the release, saying it was a political judgment made by Naoto Kan’s government, and they intended to bring it up at the national Diet. Masses called the Naha District Public Prosecutor’s Office directly to show their complaints. The fishermen in Okinawa showed the most concern, as they worried that a lot of Chinese fishermen would start fishing near the Diaoyu Islands. The release also weakened the power of the recently designated Prime Minister Naoto Kan; some comments suggested that his cabinet might not last long.

Why would the Naoto Kan government, under such strong pressure from public opinion in Japan, damage his political career and change their attitude toward the seizure completely after visiting the U.S.? The attitude expressed by U.S. President Barack Obama during his separate meetings with the Chinese and Japanese prime ministers seems to be the determining factor. The U.S. emphasized that they would remain neutral regarding the sovereign rights over the Diaoyu Islands and would not take part in the negotiations. Meanwhile, they also made a contradictory announcement: The alliance between the U.S. and Japan was the cornerstone of world peace, and from the State Department to the White House, they strongly encouraged dialogue between the two countries to resolve the sovereign issue. It is reasonable to believe that America’s point of view and its interference played an important role in the development of the issue.

Recently, the U.S. has performed a sequence of diplomatic actions with the intention to make a clear statement to the world that the U.S. is still the judge and leader in the political field in East Asia. It does not matter how number two and number three switch their seats; the leader is still around. The competition between China, the U.S. and Japan will be a huge challenge in intellect and patience to Beijing. In order for China to protect its interests to the maximum extent, it needs to calmly and accurately estimate the loss and gain of its foreign policy with Japan and the U.S., and set up a strategy that is unbiased and practical. Although China will rise in power dramatically within the next 30 years, it will probably take longer before it can challenge the United States. On the other hand, due to its population and limited natural resources, Japan will inevitably become a second-rate country. During the process, it will be in the interest of both China and the U.S. to keep on preventing Japan from regaining its military power. I cannot imagine the negative impact on China if America suddenly withdraws its troops in Korea and Japan, which would change the politics and stability in East Asia. Hence, it is in China’s interest to cooperate and communicate with the U.S., although it can also be a challenge.

Once China admits that the United States has supreme authority in East Asia it will be able to resolve the issues on Diaoyu Islands and Spratly Islands without a hitch. Outside its borders, it will also be able to regain the right to speak up and protect its sovereignty and establish a positive diplomatic environment.