Panetta urges China and Japan to settle dispute by peaceful means

As popular outrage continued to swirl in China over Japan's decision to make the disputed Senkaku Islands state property, anti-Japanese demonstrators took to the streets to mark the 81st anniversary of an incident that paved the way for the Japanese invasion and occupation of Manchuria.       

The "day of national humiliation" for China occurred Sept. 18, 1931. Chinese refer to it as the Liutiaohu Incident.          

Because of the nature of this anniversary, there were concerns that the violence seen in recent days could escalate.               

But while some demonstrators threw rocks and took other actions, Chinese law enforcement authorities were on high alert. This averted the sort of previous mob violence that targeted Japanese shops and factories.           

U.S. Secretary of Defense Leon Panetta, who is touring China and Japan, stressed at a news conference in Tokyo, "It is in everyone's interest for Japan and China to maintain good relations and find a way to avoid further escalation."           

The islands called Senkaku in Japan and Diaoyu in China are tiny rock outcroppings that have been a sore point between China and Japan for decades. Japan has claimed the islands since 1895. The U.S. took jurisdiction after World War II and turned them over to Japan in 1972.               

Japan's government sees its purchase of some of the islands as a way to thwart a potentially more inflammatory move by the governor of Tokyo, who had wanted not only to buy the islands but also develop them. But Beijing sees Japan's purchase as an affront to its claims and its past calls for negotiations.                

Beijing has sent patrol ships inside Japanese-claimed waters around the islands, and some state media have urged Chinese to show their patriotism by boycotting Japanese goods and canceling travel to Japan.               

The islands are important mainly because of their location near key sea lanes in the East China Sea. They are surrounded by rich fishing grounds and as-yet untapped underwater natural resources.                

Chinese state media have also reported that boats were headed to the waters around the disputed islands for seasonal fishing.              

Hong, the foreign ministry spokesman, said such activities were within China's rights.


AP