For many years, Japanese governments have taken a “let-sleeping-dogs-lie” approach to territorial disputes over the islands, ignoring repeated provocations by China (and Taiwan). But that ended with the election of September 2009, which ushered in the pro-China administration of Prime Minister Yukio Hatoyama.
许多年来，日本政府在岛屿领土争端上一直都采取“维持现状，不惹麻烦”的策略，沉默应对中国（和台湾）的一次次挑衅。但在亲中的鸠山由纪夫政府于2009年9月大选上台之后，形势就发生了变化。