Japan's putative "grabbing" of the Senkaku Islands has been shrilly reported in Chinese media this past month. Known in China as the Diaoyu Islands, this small collection of islets and rocky outcroppings in the East China Sea has lain outside of direct Chinese control since 1895. By 1970, the discovery of probable fossil fuel resources transformed these uninhabited islets into a watery stage for political theatre. (guardian.co.uk)
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