The Mandate of Heaven

Though much is taken, much abides; and though
We are not now that strength which in old days
Moved earth and heaven; that which we are, we are;
One equal temper of heroic hearts,
Made weak by time and fate, but strong in will
To strive, to seek, to find, and not to yield.
-Ulysses
Alfred Lord Tennyson

Although Tennyson's words refer to the gods of Greece, the poem, one of my personal favorites, seems applicable to the current situation in Asia. Two regional hegemons, China and Japan, have locked horns and begun the battle for supremacy in Asia. It is too early yet to determine which side will come out victorious, that determination won't happen for years yet, but whichever side does win, they will face the United States as their newest adversary.
I think Prime Minister Zoikumi, today, made a move which is indicitive of how these two countries will deal with the growing conflict. After offering another official apology Friday, for the atrocities committed against China and other Asian countries, Zoikumi turned around and declared that China is as much at fault as Japan in the current crises. In fact, every step towards reconciliation has been moderated by an equal step in the other direction, by both sides. While posting soldiers outside the Japanese embassy in Beijing to stop protestors, Hu turned and called for more than a simple apology from Japan, he wants action. Particularly, Hu wants Japan to back down from its joint defense policy on Taiwan, a policy in place since February of this year. I would suggest that this is indeed the root of the entire situation and it's taken nearly three months before China could finally come out and say it.
Since Chiang Kai-shek fled mainland China in 1949 and settled his forces on Taiwan, the mainland communist government wanted it back. Whether their motivation lay in a desire to return all of China's historically controlled land to itself, or whether there was a degree of revenge, China wanted Taiwan back. Japan's move to join the U.S. in declaring Taiwan a security concern therefore irks China no end.
I would further suggest that China has searched for an excuse since February to make noise and that Tokyo's publication of somewhat inflammatory textbooks provided the perfect opportunity. As far as policy goes it's a little risky, but with China's mass and population they can't harbor too many fears of international retribution should the situation grow beyond their control.
Only time will tell, though, which side will win. My money's on China. Unfortunately, if China does win, the United States has already begun to set up China as its next fight for world hegemony, a fight which I question if we can win.
Until next time, "Be seeing you."