Special Interests Behind Sino-Japan Dispute?

There is an interesting piece by New Yorker's Evan Osnos, on his Letter from China (the inspiration for my own Letter from Ghana blog). Evan said that the current dispute between Beijing and Tokyo could be works of Chinese special interest groups.

Just how powerful are these special interest groups? According to an insider account, a billionaire could buy his classmate a vice-mayor position in China.

However, there is still questions yet answered. The clash with Japan over the fishing boat is involved with gas, energy and territorial dispute, but there should have a carrot that motivated the groups to press hard. It could be the gas reserve in the Eastern China Sea or something else.

Washington Post John Pomfret said in his piece, "the explosion of special interests shaping China’s worldview".