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Japan

Japan-China Dispute Escalates As Beijing Planes Fly Around Islands

NHK, ASAHI SHIMBUN (Japan), XINHUA ( China)

Worldcrunch

The Japanese government accused China of violating its airspace Thursday morning, after Chinese maritime surveillance planes flew near the islands disputed by the two powers.

China's Xinhua news agency confirms that Chinese planes were sent to patrol the territorial waters surrounding the disputed Diaoyu Islands (Senkaku in Japanese) at around 10:00 A.M. Thursday.

Xinhua cites China's State Oceanic Administration as saying the B-3837 plane joined a fleet of four surveillance ships that are stationed near Japanese territorial waters.

Japanese broadcaster NHK reports that Japan deployed eight F-15 fighter jets and an early warning aircraft in response to the sighting off Uotsuri Island.

Senkaku/Diaoyu Islands in the East China Sea (Screenshot from GoogleMaps)

"Despite our repeated warnings, Chinese government ships have entered out territorial waters for three days in a row," Japanese Chief Cabinet Secretary Osama Fujimura told Japanese daily the Asahi Shimbun Thursday.

"It is extremely regrettable that, on top of that, an intrusion into our airspace has been committed in this way," he said.

Relations between the two countries have become ever more strained since the Japanese government bought the islands in the East China Sea from a private Japanese owner in September. Both China and Taiwan also claim the islands as part of their own respective territories.

"The Diaoyu islands and affiliated islands are part of China's inherent territory. China's flight over the islands is completely normal," Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Hong Lei told reporters in Beijing.

"The Chinese side calls on Japan to halt all entries into water and airspace around the islands."

China's air incursion in Japanese air space over Senkaku islands, further pushes Japan's election discourse towards right.

— Pawan Khera (@Pawankhera) December 13, 2012

The incident also comes just days before a general election in Japan, when the Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) is expected to return to power, headed by former prime minister Shinzo Abe, who is noted for his staunch nationalism.

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Ideas

The Colonial Spirit And "Soft Racism" Of White Savior Syndrome

Tracing back to Christian colonialism, which was supposed to somehow "civilize" and save the souls of native people, White Savior Syndrome lives on in modern times: from Mother Teresa to Princess Diana and the current First Lady of Colombia, Verónica Alcocer.

photo of a child patient holding hand of an adult

Good intentions are part of the formula

Ton Koene / Vwpics/ZUMA
Sher Herrera

-Analysis-

CARTAGENA — The White Savior Syndrome is a social practice that exploits or economically, politically, symbolically takes advantage of individuals or communities they've racialized, perceiving them as in need of being saved and thus forever indebted and grateful to the white savior.

Although this racist phenomenon has gained more visibility and sparked public debate with the rise of social media, it is actually as old as European colonization itself. It's important to remember that one of Europe's main justifications for subjugating, pillaging and enslaving African and American territories was to bring "civilization and save their souls" through "missions."

Even today, many white supremacists hold onto these ideas. In other words, they believe that we still owe them something.

This white savior phenomenon is a legacy of Christian colonialism, and among its notable figures, we can highlight Saint Peter Claver, known as "the slave of the slaves," Bartolomé de Las Casas, Mother Teresa of Calcutta, Princess Diana herself, and even the First Lady of Colombia, Verónica Alcocer.

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