By Mohamed Zayed, iNews Cayman special correspondent

Over the past few months, islands disputes in Asia have put the international powers in turmoil as most of international economy is embedded heavily in Asia. Economists have said the Asian fast growing economies are the main power of the world’s economic growth.  Though the disputed islands called the Diaoyu/Senkaku islands seem tiny compared to the disputing parties China and Japan’s resources and capabilities, the nationalist lobbies, though they appeared small, have the upper hand in the state at this time politics.  And the  political leadership use nationalism to gain popularity or ease pressure on the government on crucial issues.

At the end of this year, the leadership transition will take place in China; vice president Xi Jinping will take presidency in the one party rule. The international community brands the ruling Communist party as an autocratic regime, controlling everything in the Chinese’s life from media, expression and religion. As the whole world are watching the Arab Spring and the leadership transition in the People’s Republic of China. The Chinese government makes use of the historical enmity between China and Japan since the Second World War. China has put the nationalists on the stage, writing stinging articles, appearing in talk shows; recalling the Japanese occupation violations. The violent protests against Japan across many Chinese main cities and towns was a basic result of an organized campaign to distract the Chinese from the economic slowdown recently. But the cost was so high, Japan’s investments have faced harsh hits throughout China, protesters attacked the Japanese interests: automakers, products, restaurants and companies. Some young people attempted to assault the US ambassador to China in his motorcade, but the police responded quickly.

On the other side, the Tokyo governor has launched an initiative to buy the disputed islands from its private owner, before this action, the islands were uninhabited and under Japanese coast troops. It is scheduled that early elections in Japan will be at the end of the year. But this game is too dangerous, as the both countries share massive economic and business ties; the prospects of waging war between the two neighbours are frightening. Japan and China are big trade partners; they depend on each other heavily economically, socially and politically. But it doesn’t exclude the possibility of aggression from one side against the other. In 1919, France and Germany had great relations, but growing tensions between the both countries transcended their massive economic ties.

It is favoured not to bet on nationalism and ultra-nationalism to get gains at the expense of the ties with the neighbours to preserve stability in the region. This would reach beyond the regional dimensions especially after a crowd of Chinese protesters attempted to attack the US ambassador to China on his way to the embassy. It is easy to stoke national fervour but it is not unmanageable.