Japan and Taiwan signed a fishery agreement Wednesday, "allowing" Taiwanese boats to fish in Japan's "Exclusive Economic Zone" near the Diaoyu Islands. The Chinese mainland has cautiously expressed its concerns.

The fishery deal is widely seen as a Japanese tactic to drive a wedge between the mainland and Taiwan over the Diaoyu Islands issue. The agreement, while benefiting Taiwanese fishermen, facilitates Japan's claim of "sovereignty" over the islands and helps it mend fences with Taiwan over the island disputes.

However, the deal will not change how the Diaoyu Islands issue will evolve strategically. The Diaoyu Islands were affiliated with Gamalan (known as Yilan county today) of Taiwan. Taiwan should take the initiative in safeguarding the sovereignty of the islands.

Following the fishery deal, Wang Jinn-wang, the head of Taiwan's "Coast Guard Administration," said that mainland fishing boats operating in waters off the Diaoyu Islands would be expelled. The deal is seemingly working to soften Taiwan's stance against Japan over the Diaoyu issue.

But Taiwan's attitude no longer dominates the regional dynamics over the island disputes. The fundamental change in the dynamics stems from Beijing's determined attitude to safeguard the sovereignty of the Diaoyu Islands. The mainland has undertaken this historical task, and seeks a united front with Taiwan over the issue. However, Beijing does not see Taiwan's support as the deciding factor in overpowering Japan over the Diaoyu impasse.

If Tokyo really is only aiming to benefit Taiwan via the latest deal, Beijing will be more than happy to see gains achieved by Taiwanese fishermen. But if Japan wants to use it as a new strategy to confront China, its efforts will prove futile.

For the Chinese people, protecting the sovereignty of the Diaoyu Islands has become their united goal. Japan's insistence on its stance would mean confrontation with the united will of the Chinese, which won't be shaken by Japan's tricks.

Taiwan seeks the maximization of its interests in terms of the Diaoyu Islands issue, which certainly makes us uncomfortable. On Wednesday there was an outpouring of rebukes against the Taiwanese authorities among mainland netizens. However, mainland society will not vent its anger over the island disputes toward Taiwan.

The mainland is fully confident of its own capability to safeguard sovereignty, and society will ultimately become tolerant toward Taipei's inaction. The public is prepared for enduring island conflicts with Japan. There is no way for China to step back over the issue. And Japan barely has any political space to step back too.

If both China and Japan do not want to see the confrontation upgrade into a war, they should jointly explore methods of crisis management. Both sides need to adopt a pragmatic attitude. But the problem is that Japan hasn't shown any cool-headedness or rational attitude yet.

China should continue exerting high pressure on Japan over the Diaoyu spat, and force it to sincerely come back to the negotiation table with Beijing. Meanwhile, given its increasing national strength, China is demonstrating more initiative in regional rivalry over the island disputes. It is clear that time is on China's side.