Japan should uphold wisdom of treaty with China

China Coast Guard vessels had to warn off Japanese fishing boats and patrol boats that had illegally entered China's territorial waters around the Diaoyu Islands on Jan 27.

Japan has been repeatedly provoking China with such intrusions.

If unchecked, tensions over the Diaoyu Islands, over which China holds irrefutable sovereignty, could easily become a flashpoint for conflict. Yet, Japan has shown little interest in ratcheting down the tensions as it has developed a penchant for using the disputes to fan domestic right-wing sentiment and strengthen its alliance with the United States.