Former U.S. Sec. Of Defense Robert Gates: Russia Has Given The Chinese The Green Light To Seize The Senkaku Islands.

Robert Gates, November 17, 2010 (photo: US Army)

Gates: US Response To Russia's Use Of Force Likely To Lead To 'More Crises And Conflict' -- Robert Gates, Stars and Stripes/Stars and Stripes

I think an actual invasion would be a very critical matter and a source of great concern. But I think — I think it's a concern for the same reason that the invasion of Crimea or the seizure of Crimea is a concern. And there are really two broad principles that Putin has violated and that ought to worry the West a lot.

One is that he [Putin] is upending the post-Cold War order which basically acknowledged that border changes in Europe would only be done by negotiation, by consent of all the parties involved ... [which was] a huge step forward in preserving the peace.

The second principle that's been violated is this settling of an old revanchist score by force ... The idea that you can settle these territorial disputes or old claims to territory by force is a huge problem when you consider all of the kinds of disputes there are like that not only in Europe but in Asia and elsewhere.

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My Comment: There is some truth to what Robert Gates is saying. I follow the news in China religiously, and there are now discussions in China that if Russia can do what they did with Crimea .... why not China with the Diaoyu/Senkaku islands.