Japan is in a dangerous confrontation with China over the Senkaku Islands. Unfortunately, South Korea and Taiwan--who are supposed to be allies of Japan who would need Japanese help in case they are invaded--are piling on Japan, too.
Taiwan also claims the Senkakus and China is saying that defending Chinese rights to those islands is a joint China-Taiwan job:
Chinese mainland and Taiwan share the responsibility of safeguarding fishermen's rights in the Diaoyu Islands (known in Japan as Senkaku Islands and in Taiwan as Diayoutai) in East China Sea, the mainland's spokeswoman on Taiwan affairs said yesterday.
South Korea is stoking tensions, too:
In an interview with The Associated Press on the sidelines of the U.N. General Assembly, Foreign Minister Kim Sung-hwan said: "We are victims of Japanese colonial rule."
Kim, speaking a few hours before "serious" talks with Japan's foreign minister, also said South Korea would not compromise in its dispute over the tiny Dokdo islands, called Takeshima by Japan, which has further strained ties.
Japan doesn't need this.
I hope we are being very reassuring to the Japanese.
And I hope Russia doesn't pile on by doing something stupid over the Kuril Islands.
Nobody wants war over the islands. But tensions coming from all directions amidsts constant elbowing and signals could spark such a war.
