The relations between China and Japan are at its worst in years. Hitting their lowest point in decades on Tuesday (Sept. 18) when China marked the highly charged anniversary of the start of Japan’s occupation of China in 1931. Tensions between the two countries have risen sharply over the disputed islands in the East China Sea known to Japan as Senkaku and to China as Diaoyu. Chinese-Japanese relations have long been plagued by China’s bad memories of Japan’s military invasion in the 1930s and 1940s and current rivalry over resources.
The disputed islands are believed to have large gas resources. This dispute could lead to greater conflicts and possibly wars. Japanese businesses shut hundreds of stores and factories across China, some sending workers back to Japan fearing the protests will worsen.
Japan has mentioned its intent to buy the disputed islands to assert its sovereignty over them, which has angered China and inflamed nationalist Chinese feelings. Japan believes that China wants to exert its hegemony over Asian waters with its economic prowess and military strength it has gained in recent years.
Both China and Japan should avoid any provocation that would undermine the security and stability of the East China Sea. Failure to do so would result in a situation of uncertainty.
Both countries should resort to peaceful means to settle their disputes without resorting to force. They could submit this dispute to the International Court of Justice at The Hague for adjudication and settlement just like Qatar and Bahrain did over their disputed islands and things turned just fine after the court’s verdict.
Dr. Osama Alobaidy
Riyadh
Israeli atrocities
I read Warren Goldstein article in the Sunday Times “To save one life is to save a world,” with much amusement.
Goldstein writes” Rosh Hashanah calls on us to return to those founding moral principles given by God at the dawn of human civilization.” Clearly this human civilization “has not reached the Israelis, who destroy the homes of Palestinians, kill Palestinian men , women and children, who destroy Palestinian crops, Palestinian trees and livestock, who poison Palestinians water, who have raped Palestinian children (Irgun gang led by Menachem Begin who was rewarded to be prime minister of Israel for his actions), who drive Palestinians from their homes and steal their lands and build settlements on the stolen land of the Palestinians.
Where is the moral spirit of Rosh Hashanah in all of that? Or they do not celebrate Rosh Hashanah in Israel? If the Israelis truly believe in God, then how can they act like barbarians? How many innocent lives the Israelis has killed? (Massacre at Sabra and Shatila camps, massacre at Der Yasien and thousands others killed throughout West Bank and Gaza).
Goldstein further writes: “Life in South Africa is cheap.” He deliberately ignores to write: “Life in Palestine is very cheap.” (Yunus, By e-mail)
Greek mythology
I read the article “Procrotus and White Land levies” in Arab News (Sept. 15). I appreciate the way the author correlated Greek mythology and the current issues being taken up by the Shoura Council. Your relating of the old myth to the current issue itself created a fun. Reading the first three paragraphs itself gave me a zest to read the rest of the article. I find the author’s writing very amusing. Being an avid reader of Greek mythology, I was pleased to find the information that was provided in the article to be very accurate. However, I find the name of the Greek demigod spelt wrong. His name is Procrustes meaning the one who stretches.” (Sruthi Salu, Dammam)
Fuel hike protest
This is in reference to the current political turmoil facing India following the government’s announcement to reduce the cap on subsidized cooking gas cylinders as part of economic reforms. The decision has created a political storm in the country and in order to address the concerns of the common people while intending to carrying out economic reforms, the Congress party chief< Sonia Gandhi, has rightly asked chief ministers of her party-ruled states to on subsidized cooking gas cylinders from six to nine. In the light of this latest decision common people will get three more cylinders in addition to six which was decided earlier at subsidized prices of Rs.399 a cylinder in the Congress-ruled states.
In India it is very difficult for a common or poor person to buy a non-subsidized cooking gas cylinder which costs Rs 750. It was not possible for the public to limit their requirements only to six cylinders per year.
The role played in this regard by Trinamool Congress leader Mamata Banerjee should be appreciated which forced the Congress party to ask its state governments to provide relief to the middle and lower class families. (Zakaria Sultan, Riyadh)
Letters — China-Japan row
