Taiwan’s representative to the US, Shen Lyushen, says he fears what he called an “explosive” confrontation between China and Japan over the Diaoyutai Islands. Shen made the remarks in an interview with USA Today on Wednesday.
The Diaoyutai Islands are a disputed island chain located in the East China Sea. The uninhabited islands are also known by their Japanese name, the Senkaku Islands. They are under the de facto control of Japan, but are also claimed by Taiwan and China. Shen told USA Today that Taiwan was the first nation to categorize and name the islands.
Shen said that China continues to harbor bitterness toward Japan over Japanese atrocities committed in China during the Second Sino-Japanese War, which lasted from 1937-1945. He said that China has been stoking nationalist sentiment and intensifying anti-Japanese rhetoric in the run-up to the anniversary of the 1937 Marco Polo Bridge Incident, which began the war.
Shen said that conflict over the islands could lead to confrontation between Chinese and Japanese patrol ships, perhaps sparking a more serious clash.