Diaoyutai: A US Blessing for Japan? Or a Curse?

Diaoyutai: A US Blessing for Japan? Or a Curse?
United Daily News editorial (Taipei, Taiwan, ROC)
A Translation
August 24, 2012

Summary: In 1972, when the United States transferred sovereignty over the Ryukyus to Japan, it also transferred "administrative jurisdiction" over the Diaoyutai Islands to Japan. At the time, this was seen as a blessing conferred upon Japan by the United States. Now it seems like a nightmare, like a curse.

Full Text below:

In 1972, when the United States transferred sovereignty over the Ryukyus to Japan, it also transferred "administrative jurisdiction" over the Diaoyutai Islands to Japan. At the time, this was seen as a blessing conferred upon Japan by the United States. Now it seems like a nightmare, like a curse.

This action by the United States was questionable in at least two respects. One. The United States was merely the custodian of the Diaoyutai Islands, not their owner. It obviously had no sovereignty over the islands. So why did it not return the Diaoyutai Islands to its original and rightful owner? Why did it instead turn it over to Japan? The US transferred "administrative jurisdiction" to Japan. This means that neither the United States nor Japan had sovereignty over the Diaoyutai Islands. Two. Geopolitically and geographically, the Diaoyutai Islands are "outlying islands of Taiwan." There was no reason to treat them and the Ryukyus as some sort of "package deal." The United States dealt with the matter carelessly. It overestimated Japan. It underestimated Mainland China. It ignored the Republic of China.

Consider the historical backdrop. One. Oil reserves were discovered in waters surrounding the Diaoyutai Islands. Two. Mainland China and Taiwan were politically divided. Both Mainland China and Taiwan were militarily weak. The United States and Japan saw this as an opportunity. But the Diaoyutai Islands have been China's territory since antiquity. This is an irrefutable fact. Japan long ago acknowledged that the island chain was under "Qing dynasty China's jurisdiction" and that it was an "outlying island of Taiwan." The US illegally transferred the Diaoyutai Islands to Japan, purely on the basis of a piece of paper. This was a high-handed act of imperialism. It is not how history will play out. The Diaoyutai Islands are "hot merchandise" that the United States stole from China and gave to Japan.

The first curse left by the U.S. was to rip open the long festering wounds between China and Japan. These wounds will not heal any time soon.

Between the late nineteenth century and the mid twentieth century, Japan's actions turned Japan into China's most hated enemy. The most egregious of these actions was Japan's inhumane war of aggression against China launched during the 1930s. Japan inflicted upon the Chinese people eight years of untold blood and tears. These wounds can be healed only gradually, through sincere efforts by the ruling and opposition parties on both sides. The United States transferred "administrative jurisdiction" of the Diaoyutai Islands to Japan. Conflict over the island chain created a time warp. It revived old hatreds. Mere mention of the Diaoyutai Islands and a century of hatred between the two countries rushes back into the hearts of the two peoples. All attempts to heal the wounds between China and Japan can be undone instantly by the Diaoyutai Islands conflict. What is this, if not a curse left behind by the United States?

The US left behind a second curse. The Diaoyutai Islands conflict makes it difficult to sever the political connection between Taipei and Beijing. What is this for the US, but a curse? Whenever the Diaoyutai Islands conflict erupts, it touches a raw nerve that links Taipei and Beijing.

The Republic of China must reaffirm its sovereignty over the Diaoyutai Islands. One. The Diaoyutai Islands have been Chinese territory since antiquity. Two. The Diaoyutai Islands are outlying islands of Taiwan. They are traditional Taiwan fishing grounds. Three. If the Republic of China were to surrender the Diaoyutai Islands, the public on both sides of the Strait could not allow such an act to stand. During the 1970s Chen Ruoxi and others "reidentified with their native lands." The People's Republic of China also finds it impossible to relinquish sovereignty over the Diaoyutai Islands. Beijing also affirms that the Diaoyutai Islands have been Chinese territory since antiquity. Beijing affirms that they are outlying islands of Taiwan. If Beijing were to relinquish sovereignty over the Diaoyutai Islands, that would be tantamount to relinquishing sovereignty over Taiwan. The Diaoyutai Islands conflict has become a raw nerve that links Taipei and Beijing. What is this, if not a consequence of the United States' own short-sightedness?

Because the U.S. was short-sighted, the Diaoyutai Islands conflict has become a festering wound between China and Japan. It has also become a raw nerve that links Taipei and Beijing. The US should have taken into account history, geopolitical reality, geography, and a whole range of facts in evidence. It should have acknowledged that the Diaoyutai Islands were outlying islands of Taiwan. It should not have used the Ryukyus as a pretext to deal with the Diaoyutai Islands as it did. Had the US done so, none of this would have happened. Unfortunately everything has happened. The United States now feels compelled to argue that it "transferred" the islands. Japan has bitten into the Diaoyutai Islands. It cannot neither spit it out nor swallow it. Beijing is using the Diaoyutai Islands conflict to bolster its position vis a vis Taiwan. This has affected the ROC's political status and public sentiment on Taiwan. The ROC is operating in the margins. It must cope with the United States, Japan, Mainland China, Hong Kong, Macao, and public sentiment on Taiwan.

The current Diaoyutai Islands conflict has rubbed salt into the wounds between China and Japan. It has touched a raw nerve that links Taipei and Beijing. Japan does not dare stop Diaoyutai Islands Defense Movement activists from landing on the islands. Nor is Japan able to prevent Japanese right-wingers from landing on the islands. Mass protests have erupted in cities and towns all over Mainland China. The United States and Japan held military exercises on how to defend the islands. The conflict is intensifying. How will it end?

This year happens to be the 40th anniversary of the United States transfer of "administrative jurisdiction" over the Diaoyutai Islands to Japan. The currents of history first flow in one direction, then in another. Forty years of vicissitudes have revealed just how outrageous and shortsighted the U.S. decision was. The world has witnesed it all. Did the United States give Japan a blessing, or a curse?

釣魚台是美國給日本的恩典或詛咒
【聯合報╱社論】
2012.08.24 01:55 am

一九七二年，美國將琉球主權移交日本之時，又同時將釣魚台列嶼的「行政管轄權」也交給日本。在當年看來，這是美國給日本的莫大恩典；如今卻儼然成了夢魘般的詛咒。

美國的這個動作，至少有兩大疑問。一、美國身為受託管之國家，當然對釣島不具「主權」；則為何不將釣島歸還其原具主權之國家，卻交給日本？而既謂只是將「行政權」交給日本，則美國自亦未主張日本對釣島具有「主權」。二、釣魚台在地緣及地理上無疑是「台灣之附屬島嶼」，沒有理由與琉球移交併案處理。美國當年的魯莽處置，儼然是高估了日本，低估了中國大陸，且沒把中華民國放在眼裡。

美國當年處置此案的歷史背景是：一、釣魚台附近海域據謂發現石油蘊藏；二、兩岸分裂，「中國」積弱，構成美日可乘之機。但是，釣魚台自古即為中國領土乃顛撲不破的事實，日本早年亦認定列嶼為「清國領轄」、「台灣之附屬島嶼」；爾今僅憑美日間一紙文書就欲將釣島私相授受，這是帝國主義的不義手法，卻不會是歷史公道的終極歸趨。畢竟，釣魚台等於是美國盜取給日本的贓物。

美國此案所下的第一道詛咒是：使得中日之間的仇恨存在著一個不斷會被撕開的傷口，而難期癒合之日。

十九世紀末葉至二十世紀前段，中日可謂世仇；尤其三○年代起日本發動毫無天理人性的侵華戰爭，致使中國人民受盡八年血淚凌辱。這道傷口的癒合，有待雙方朝野天長地久地慢慢以善心誠意加以化解；但是，美國把釣魚台的「行政管轄權」交給日本，竟使列嶼成了中日世仇的時空「穿越」隧道，只要提起釣魚台，百年來的兩國怨仇即再次回到兩國人民心中；中日和好的一切努力，隨時可因釣島而撕裂。這難道不是美國下的詛咒所致？

美國此案所下的第二道詛咒是：使得釣魚台問題成為台灣與中國大陸之間難以切斷的政治神經；只要扯一下釣魚台問題，就必然會牽動台灣與中國大陸之間的那一條政治神經。

中華民國應當且必須堅守釣島主權：一、釣魚台自古即中國領土；二、釣島為台灣的附屬島嶼，亦台灣漁民之傳統漁場；三、中華民國若棄守釣島，在兩岸人心上即難立足，例如上世紀七○年代陳若曦等的「回歸認同」即是可能出現的併發症。再者，中華人民共和國亦不可能在釣島的主權立場上退讓；北京也主張釣魚台自古即中國之領土，亦為台灣之附屬島嶼。北京若在釣島主權上退讓，不啻即是從台灣問題上退讓。釣島今日成為牽動台灣與中國大陸之間的政治神經，這豈非也是美國當年的短視所致？

由於美國當年的短視，使得釣魚台成為中日間永難癒合的傷口，又成為台灣與中國大陸間傳導牽動的政治神經。如果當年美國依歷史、地緣、地理的各種憑據，尊重釣魚台為台灣附屬島嶼之原貌，不藉琉球問題來作釣魚台的文章，這一切也許就不會發生。然而，不幸的是，一切畢竟皆已發生了；如今，美國必須維持其「移交」的顏面，日本對釣島則是吐不出來，又實在吞不下去；北京則藉釣島問題，一方面作台灣問題之主張，又牽動台灣的政局與民情；而台灣處在夾縫間，必須找到美、日、大陸港澳及台灣內部的四方面平衡。

這一波釣島風潮演變至今日，中日傷口又撒上一層鹽，台灣與大陸的政治神經又被牽動。日本不但不敢強硬阻擋香港保釣人士登島，也沒有能力維持其阻擋日本右派人士登島的官方立場；中國大陸則在各地城鎮發生群眾示威事件；美日且正上演防衛島嶼演習。愈演愈烈，如何收拾？

今年正巧是美國將釣島「行政權」移交日本四十周年。十年河東，十年河西；四十年的滄桑，將美國當年決策的蠻橫與短視暴露無遺。世人眼前所見的這一切，是美國對日本的恩典，還是詛咒？