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Not a single mention of the US or the west in this article.  Perhaps a testament to Washington’s waning influence on global affairs?

“Japan has refused to apologise to Beijing for detaining a Chinese boat captain in disputed waters after Tokyo gave ground and released him.

China’s foreign ministry said it was angry at the detention of the captain, arrested by Japan over two weeks ago after his trawler collided with two Japanese patrol boats in waters near islands that both sides claim.

The ministry demanded an apology and compensation and said China’s claim to the islands, which it calls the Diaoyu and Japan calls the Senkaku, was “indisputable”.

These are the words of countries that are not really in the mood for compromise.  This small conflict is a microcosm of the generally unsettled relations between Japan and China.

“Everybody knows that China is not a democratic country, but [the latest demand] will make that explicit,” Okada, who is now secretary-general of the ruling Democratic Party of Japan, was quoted as saying.

Zhan Qixiong, a fishing trawler captain, flew out of Japan to the coastal Chinese city of Fuzhou on Saturday after being set free on Friday.

The release follows the detention of four Japanese nationals on suspicion of violating Chinese law regarding the protection of military facilities earlier this week.”

The tensions in the region are growing and we in the West, crippled by our imperial wars have lost much of the ability to influence other nations in the world.   This is not necessarily a bad thing, just a new development that must be rather troublesome and unsettling for Western leaders.

“The dispute has underscored the brittleness of ties long troubled by Chinese memories of Japanese wartime occupation and territorial disputes over parts of the East China Sea that could hold rich reserves of gas.”

Once energy resources are involved, it is a guaranteed game changer.  I’m very curious to see how this plays out as potential conflict involving the major powers of the region could ensue.