China‘s UN Criticism โขof Japan Focuses on Militarization, not Okinawa Sovereignty, โAnalysts Say
UNITED NATIONS โ- China’s recent call for Japanโ to address discrimination against Okinawans and other indigenousโ peoples at the Unitedโ Nations was primarily โa critique of Japan’s military presenceโข in Okinawa, rather than a challengeโฃ to Tokyo’sโข sovereignty over theโ prefecture, according to Chinese observers.
During an October 9th debate at the UN โGeneral Assembly’sโ Third committee – its principal human rights body – China’s deputyโค permanent representative,Sun Lei,urged โฃJapan to “stop โprejudice and discrimination against โฃOkinawans and other indigenous peoples.” Sun also called on Japan to “confront โthe history of its militaristic aggression against neighbouring Asian countries and โคcolonial rule duringโข World War II โฆ [and to] โขgenuinely improve the โขsocial status of women.”
Analysts โฃsuggestโข the โคremarks were largely focused on the heavyโค U.S. military presence in Okinawa, which hosts dozens of American bases. Okinawa’sโข strategic location also places itโข at the center โof a territorial disputeโฃ between China and Japanโค over the Diaoyu/Senkaku Islands.
Currently,the Ainu people of northern Japan are โฃthe only groupโ officially recognized asโ indigenous by โtheโค Japanese government. The โsituation in Okinawa, however, remains a sensitive point in Sino-Japanese relations and regional politics.