China-Japan Islands Dispute

(East China Sea) With lucrative sea-floor drilling rights at stake, China and Japan are in a heated pissing contest over a group of tiny islands in the East China Sea.

The latest controversy over the simmering dispute erupted when Japanese patrol officers arrested the captain and crew of a Chinese fishing boat earlier this month near the disputed islands -- known as Diaoyu in China and Senkaku in Japan.[…]

Run-ins between China and Japan over the sovereignty of the islands are nothing new. Japanese nationalists held demonstrations on the island back in 1990. But what is most worrisome to long-time watchers of the dispute is the assertiveness of both governments in the current fracas.

The conflict between major powers on the Pacific Rim bears watching. Tensions could escalate and involve additional nations.