By William Hobart
It has been one year since the Japanese government purchased the disputed Senkaku/Diaoyu islands from the Kurihara family. Despite initial alarm that the dispute would spark an unintended war, both China and Japan have managed the new normal of tension around the islands, without escalation. But the next year will not be without its challenges.
The issue has been complicated in recent weeks with renewed calls within Japan for stationing permanent structures and personnel on the islands, as well as an uptick in paramilitary and military patrols of the area. The introduction of UAVs to the theater and confusion as to whether or not China considers the islands a “core interest” will further complicate the dispute in the year to come.
The Senkaku purchase now joins a series of anniversaries in September steeped in historical baggage for the two nations: September 18, 1931 is the day on which the Manchurian Incident occurred, while Japan formally surrendered to the Allied Powers on September 2.
Read the full story at The Diplomat