There is a large dispute in Asia over small islands located between China, Taiwan and Japan.

These
islands have few people living there and a few resources but nothing that would be worth going to war
over, right? Apparently these countries see it differently. China has mounted their flag on the island
claiming it is theirs while Japan has brought choppers and ships to claim the island as theirs. Other
countries like South Korea, Vietnam and the Philippines have claimed that the island should belong to
them. All of these countries are arguing over this small piece of land but why?
Many think it is because the countries do not want to look weak in the eyes of others. They want to
show their dominance over the other countries. Citizens of the countries back their governments
believing that their country has the right to claim it. Everyone is so nationalistic that they are willing to
go to extreme lengths over these islands.
China and Japan have had a rocky relationship for a long time now. Since WWII when Japan invaded and
massacred thousands of Chinese people for their colonial conquests, the Chinese have seen them as
evil, heartless soldiers. China is also in the middle of a leadership change and will want to seem like they
have everything under control. The government also does not want to be pushed around in fear that the
other countries will see them as weak and use it to push the country around. For this reason, they have
to stand up to Japan and show that their country is not the same as it was in the last century.
Its brinksmanship from the cold war all over again. Both sides are willing to inch closer to a war just to
see if the other will back down. This happened during the Cuban Missile Crisis when the Soviet Union
and the USA wouldnt back down but inched closer to a full out nuclear war. Back then it ended by both
sides willing to negotiate with each other, if both sides are not willing to talk to each other, then a full
blown war could break out over a few small islands.