Something’s brewing in the Far East. Apparently, there is a dispute between the bitter Asian nations of China and Japan over a what seems to only be a small fishing island. It already seems that things could escalate quickly, as there appears to mounting military movement on both sides. These two have been at each others’ throats for a while, but today, this land grab could be the straw that broke the camel’s back.

It’s best to look at some historical relations between these nations in order to fully understand such animosity. Separated only by the East China Sea, these two nations mingled constantly, in ways ranging from simple medicinal trade to violent piracy and war. Such proximity would cause such bickering, and it only makes sense for it to remain today. A more recent example of Chinese and Japanese conflict would’ve been the invasions in WWII. The Japanese are infamous for their brutality in this war, especially to the Chinese. In order for Japan’s pacific empire to form, they’d first have to secure the East Asian coast, and who’d be better than the Chinese to strike preemptively?

Today’s dispute revolves once again on territorial issues, but it isn’t only the military who’s prepared for trouble. Japanese factories had closed on the 17th of September in protest of China’s intrusion and anti-Japanese demonstrations held during the previous three days. Apparently, there is a theme with both parties in this feud of maintaining the appearance of “toughness” in this land grab, meaning that both are of course to blame for such mounting aggression. Another thing to note is the USA is being treated as a potential mediator for either side, but so far, our country hasn’t exactly intervened. We’ve got our own problems, and even setting foot into this debacle is like lighting a match in fireworks shop.

Right now, both countries, civilians and military included, are ready for anything the other dishes out. Whether it be protests or counter-protests, it doesn’t seem that either side will back down anytime soon. In that case, is it still a good idea for America to take up its role as “police of the world” and try to help? Or would it only make matters worse?