Beijing (AsiaNews / Agencies) - The vice chairman of China's Central Military Commission, General Guo Boxiong, will be in Japan next month despite the increased tension between the two countries for the control of the Diaoyu Islands (Senkaku in Japanese), a small but rich archipelago in the East China Sea.
The visit, some experts say, aims to ease tensions in the area. But other unnamed sources speak of a visit by General Guo to the archipelago after leaving Tokyo. Although many scholars suggest "prudence" to Beijing on the subject, the Chinese regime shows no sign of relenting.
In any case, the General's visit is now considered a good sign. According to Kyodo News, the trip includes the April 12 meeting with General Guo Naoki Tanaka Japanese Defense Minister and Prime Minister, Yoshihiko Noda. This is the first high level military visit to Japan since 2009.
However, many experts point out that no member of the Politburo of China will be present April 9 to commemorate the 40th anniversary of normalization of Sino-Japanese relations in a ceremony to be held in Tokyo. And the meeting for the bilateral economic dialogue between China and Japan has been put off from April to June.
For years the two countries have been vying for domination of the small archipelago, which is considered rich in energy and whose waters are full of fish. In 2008 there was an agreement for joint exploitation of some gas fields, but there has been progress and, in 2010, the situation has reached a confrontation with repeated serious accidents, with both parties' patrol boats involved in preventing access to vessels and other boats.
But they are not alone in their claims, Vietnam and South Korea, in fact, have repeatedly supported the fishing vessels have gone to that area of the East China Sea, sparking protests in Beijing and Tokyo over "the intrusion into internal affairs."