Anyone following world events will have noticed that there continues to be a growing tension in East Asia. The conflict predominantly stems from the rivalry between China and Japan; a rivalry that has stretched back centuries.
Recent headlines concerning the conflict are centered on the dispute of which of the two countries have sovereignty over a small island chain. Japan has legally owned the islands for decades, but has claimed ownership since the late 1800’s. Despite this, China still claims the islands belong to them and have gone so far as to include the islands in their Air Defense Identification Zone. This, of course, has only further aggravated the debate over the island chain, as well as the overall relationship between the two nations.
Conflict between China and Japan is nothing new. Armed conflict dates back centuries. The First Sino-Japanese War was held from 1894 to 1895, mostly over control of Korea. The most infamous conflict held between the two countries was the Second Sino-Japanese War which was held from 1937 until 1945. This war merged with the greater, global conflict being fought in World War II. The main purpose of the Second Sino-Japanese War was to expand Japanese control over China’s vast natural resources, and was a result of Japan’s imperialistic policies. The most controversial event to come out of this war was the Nanking Massacre, commonly referred to as the Rape of Nanking. It is because of such atrocities committed against the people of China, that the relationship between the two nations has never quite healed.
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