A few tiny, insignificant pair of islands in the East China Sea may help light the confrontation in Asia. What about pre-emptive strikes on North Korean nuclear and missile sites?
Influential Harvard scholars, who wrote books on the chances of a United States war with the People’s Republic of China, believe these are all possibilities and ones that would also pull Japan into the conflict.
Politicians have called Tokyo and Japan a prominent player in the region; one that could play a huge part in either starting or preventing war.
Among the many variable flash points, are the Senkakus, a tight grouping of several tiny islands administered and owned by Japan but claimed by both China and Taiwan, where they are known as Diaoyu and Tiaoyutai, respectively.
This is considered a stepping stone for the possibility of an accidental war in the waters, according to many observers and analysts.
The Senkaku islands, which were under U.S. control from 1945 until 1972, when the islands returned to Japanese control under the Okinawa Reversion Agreement, have left the U.S. in a relatively tough spot.
On one hand, the U.S. has to stay clear to avoid a conflict but on the other, it has to stand by it’s ally when duty calls and fight.
The speed at which North Korea has made improvements to in regards to its nuclear weapons and missile programs threaten Japan, South Korea and the U.S. in the process and dominating headlines over the last year.
NoKor’s missile breakthroughs and swears not to part with their nuclear program have created new fears of another Korean War, despite uniting for a brief period for the Olympic Games.
But on this issue, there seems to be a surprising new hope in U.S. President Donald Trump. But on this issue, the U.S. president may actually have some aptitude for out of the box thinking that other U.S. presidents did not or would not do.
Reference: Scenarios abound for Japan getting dragged into a U.S.-China conflict: expert
