Its only seven square kilometers of uninhabited, rocky land, but China and Japan both see a series of remote islands lying between the two countries as symbols of national pride. <\/p>\n
Ever since the Japanese government bought an uninhabited, disputed chain of islands in the East China Sea, the tension between Japan and China over the islands has played out in ever more bizarre ways. Here are five recent examples: <\/p>\n
A giant water-gun fight: <\/p>\n
More than 40 Taiwanese fishing boats traded water cannon fire with Japanese coast guard ships Tuesday after Taiwan for the first time ventured into the disputed waters. China has previously sent patrol ships to the island chain, which is called the Senkaku in Japan and the Diayo in China, saying they wanted to deal a blow to Japans swagger. <\/p>\n
Fewer Japanese books: <\/p>\n
Bookstores in Beijing are removing books by Japanese authors, the Guardian reports. <\/p>\n
The popularWangfujing bookstorehas pulled Chinese versions ofHaruki Murakami's bestseller 1Q84, as well as other Japanese authors' titles,said the Japan Times. \"We don't sell Japanese books,\" said a shop clerk, adding, I don't know much about the reason, but perhaps it is because China-Japan relations are not good, the Guardian writes. <\/p>\n
A new aircraft carrier: <\/p>\n
China entered its first aircraft carrier into service Tuesday, and although the ship wont be ready for combat anytime soon, the move was in part meant as a show of national strength. <\/p>\n
Writing in the China Daily newspaper, retired rear admiral Yang Yihinted that the new vessel might make certain forces think twice about messing with China. <\/p>\n<\/p>\n
Read more: <\/p>\n
5 weird examples of tensions over the Japanese\/Chinese islands<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" Its only seven square kilometers of uninhabited, rocky land, but China and Japan both see a series of remote islands lying between the two countries as symbols of national pride. Ever since the Japanese government bought an uninhabited, disputed chain of islands in the East China Sea, the tension between Japan and China over the islands has played out in ever more bizarre ways Continue reading