China and Japan dispute over Senkaku/Diaoyu Islands

[nrupatunga]

Chinese officers told Japan about expanded air defense zone in 2010

enior officers in the People's Liberation Army Navy (PLAN) informed Japanese government officials of China's Air Defense Identification Zone (ADIZ) covering the Senkaku Islands in Okinawa Prefecture all the way back in 2010, according to secret documents obtained by the Mainichi Shimbun.

According to the documents -- the minutes of an informal meeting between the PLA officers and Japanese government officials at the China Foundation for International and Strategic Studies in Beijing on May 14-15, 2010 -- China had already established the ADIZ but had yet to make it public. Furthermore, the zone presented to the Japanese officials is almost identical to that declared by the Chinese government in November 2013. The revelations indicate that China had been doing the groundwork for the declaration of the ADIZ for at least three and a half years before its official announcement.

The minutes show that a Chinese navy commodore with the PLA's naval warfare research institute not only revealed the existence of the ADIZ, but also stated that it roughly matched what China claimed as its exclusive economic zone and continental shelf -- one way to define a nation's ocean borders. The commodore clearly explained that the Senkakus were inside this zone.

The PLAN commodore furthermore stated that the Chinese and Japanese ADIZ "overlap by about 100 nautical miles," or 185 kilometers, and suggested the Chinese air force and Japan's Air Self-Defense Force work out rules to prevent accidental clashes in the overlapping airspace.

According to the minutes, a brigadier general with the PLA's Academy of Military Science -- China's highest-level military research institute -- also asked the Japanese officials, "What shall we do about China's and Japan's overlapping ADIZ?" and made the same proposal as the commodore.

The inclusion of the Senkakus in China's ADIZ could very well force Japan off its standard position on the Senkaku Island issue, namely that there is no territorial dispute. As such, a Japanese Defense Ministry official at the meeting told the Chinese officers, "China has not announced this ADIZ to the international community, so it's impossible to say where our air defense zones overlap. As such, I cannot make any further comment."

In May 2009, a year before the Beijing meeting, China submitted a tentative application to the United Nations Commission on the Limits of the Continental Shelf to extend China's continental shelf beyond the standard 200 nautical miles (about 370 kilometers) from its coastline. China submitted a formal application in December 2012, which if granted would recognize Chinese suzerainty over a stretch of ocean corresponding roughly to the extent of its ADIZ.

In response to this series of moves, Japan's Self-Defense Forces have stepped up surveillance activities in the area. Japan was furthermore aware that the PLA National Defense University and National University of Defense Technology -- which formulate China's defense policy with regards to Japan -- began final preparations in early 2013 for the announcement of the ADIZ.

The informal May 2010 announcement was titled the "Japan-China security issue investigation conference." The Japanese delegation was headed by former Deputy Chief Cabinet Secretary Nobuo Ishihara and included then prime ministerial aide Satoshi Arai and a number of former administrative vice ministers. Civil servants with the foreign and defense ministries participated in the discussions as "observers."

The Chinese group was led by former vice foreign minister Wang Yingfan, and included officers from the PLA National Defense University and National University of Defense Technology, among other military institutions.

 

[ninja85]

China's Diaoyu-Senkaku Islands Air Defense Fun Zone! | China Uncensored - YouTube

 

[cobra commando]

France, Japan Vow To
Strengthen Defense Ties
Amid China Spat


France, Japan Vow To Strengthen Defense Ties Amid China Spat | Defense News | defensenews.com

 

[nrupatunga]

Japan wants India's support on disputes with China

Engaged in a territorial dispute with China, Japan on Thursday sought India's support over "the recent Chinese provocative actions" saying a message needs to be sent to it collectively that status quo cannot be changed by force.

Japanese defence minister Itsunori Onodera said dialogue is the only way to resolve the row created by imposition of restrictions by China in the East China Sea and other areas.

Reading this the 1st thing that came to my mind was "Mr.Onodera, are you even real?" You are asking support from a nation which time and again has itself been a big sufferer of china's action maybe direct or via its proxies and even then never stood up for its rights.

 

[t_co]

Japan wants India's support on disputes with China


Reading this the 1st thing that came to my mind was "Mr.Onodera, are you even real?" You are asking support from a nation which time and again has itself been a big sufferer of china's action maybe direct or via its proxies and even then never stood up for its rights.

The other thing that is absurd is that Mr. Onodera is asking for India's support on its territorial dispute with China without offering India any support on its disputes in return. Strange.

 

[cobra commando]

Japanese PM Shinzo Abe calls for 'frank' talks with China, South Korea


http://www.livemint.com/Politics/Tc...o-Abe-calls-for-frank-talks-with-China-S.html

 

[t_co]

Japanese PM Shinzo Abe calls for 'frank' talks with China, South Korea


Japanese PM Shinzo Abe calls for 'frank' talks with China, South Korea - Livemint

After his Yasukuni visit, he has no chance of public talks with Park and Xi. The best Mr. Abe can hope for is backchannel negotiations, which may also turn out to be less than fruitful, as both Park and Xi think they can just outlast Abe's political term.

 

[aerokan]

After his Yasukuni visit, he has no chance of public talks with Park and Xi. The best Mr. Abe can hope for is backchannel negotiations, which may also turn out to be less than fruitful, as both Park and Xi think they can just outlast Abe's political term.

So does this mean China and SK are trying to make an issue out of nothing and is only interested in war mongering?

Sent from my C6506 using Tapatalk

 

[boris]

Hope Japan strengthens its military. Go Japan, Go Abe-san Hands down the greatest country in East Asia.

 

[nrupatunga]

Disputed islands are ours, Japan's new textbooks claim

Japan risked further irking their close neighbors China and South Korea on Tuesday, when the government announced textbooks were being changed to make it clear that two sets of remote islands at the center of sovereignty disputes are integral parts of their territory.

Education Minister Hakubun Shimomura said the ministry was revising the teaching manuals so junior high and high school students learn "properly" about Japanese history and to make it clear that there is no dispute over the ownership of the rocky Senkaku islands in the South China Sea.

South Korea summoned the Japanese ambassador on Tuesday to protest claims to the Takeshima islets, known as Dokdo in South Korea. They are situated most equidistant between the two countries.

Previously, Japanese textbooks only made reference to the opposing positions of the countries.

 

[Martian]

My comment on GMA News.

China ships in disputed waters – Japan coastguard | News | GMA News Online

 

[asianobserve]

Obama Says Disputed Islands Covered by Treaty
By Paul Baylis and Yuka Hayashi
WSJ April 22, 2014

TOKYO--U.S. President Barack Obama was set to arrive in Tokyo on Wednesday evening for meetings with Prime Minister Shinzo Abe that are expected to include discussions on Japan's military role and relations with China.

The two leaders will have dinner together Wednesday evening and a more formal meeting Thursday, followed by a news conference.

Mr. Obama's visit comes amid growing tension between Japan and China over islands in the East China Sea that are held by Japan but claimed by China.

In a written response to questions from the Yomiuri Shimbun, a Japanese daily, Mr. Obama said the U.S.-Japan security treaty covered the disputed islands, suggesting the U.S. would come to Japan's defense if the islands were attacked.

"The policy of the United States is clear--the Senkaku Islands are administered by Japan and therefore fall within the scope of Article 5 of the U.S.-Japan Treaty of Mutual Cooperation and Security," the Yomiuri quoted Mr. Obama as saying in his written response. "And we oppose any unilateral attempts to undermine Japan's administration of these islands."

The disputed islands are known as the Senkaku by the Japanese, while China calls them the Diaoyu. U.S. officials have previously said the security treaty covered the islands, but Mr. Obama's written statement was the first time the president himself had conveyed that message.

Mr. Abe's efforts to expand Japan's military role are also likely to come up during the meetings.

To bolster Tokyo's role in regional security, Mr. Abe wants to change the government's interpretation of Japan's constitution to allow for "collective self-defense"--meaning its military could come to the defense of allies like the U.S. even if it wasn't directly attacked itself.

In theory, the changes would enable Japan to shoot down a North Korean ballistic missile heading toward the U.S. or fire at a Chinese warship scuffling with an Australian cruiser. They would also give Japan more flexibility in a conflict over the Japanese-held islands in the East China Sea.

Alongside his "Abenomics" policy of stimulating Japan's economy, the military shift is at the top of Mr. Abe's agenda this year.

In his written statement to the Yomiuri, Mr. Obama reiterated earlier U.S. statements praising Mr. Abe's moves to expand Japan's military role.

"I commend Prime Minister Abe for his efforts to strengthen Japan's defense forces and to deepen the coordination between our militaries, including by reviewing existing limits on the exercise of collective self-defense," the president said, according to the paper.

Mr. Obama's three-day state visit to Japan is the first stop on a four-nation Asian tour.


Obama Says Disputed Islands Covered by U.S.-Japan Treaty -- Update - WSJ.com

 

[Sea Eagle]

Japan may form quick reaction force to respond to Diaoyutai attack


Amid concerns that China may attempt to take over the Diaoyutai (Senkaku to Japan, Diaoyu to China) islands by deploying soldiers disguised as fishermen, Japan should establish a quick reaction force to defend its administration of the disputed territory, according to the Tokyo-based Yomiuri Shimbun.
Japan will first have to revise its Self-Defense Forces Act of 1954, the paper said, because it does not allow the country's self defense force to launch an attack against suspected soldiers. Under current laws, Japan is not even allowed to attack foreign submarines that refuse to leave its territorial waters. The Yomiuri Shimbun suggested that Tokyo should look towards the revision of the Self-Defense Forces Act to give the military more right to defend the country's territorial claims.
A defense white paper may be prepared by military experts working for the Japanese government this May, according to the paper, which will establish a budget to a form a special unit to confront Chinese irregular forces. After receiving the white paper, the Japanese government under Prime Minister Shinzo Abe will then decide whether to revise the Self-Defense Forces Act this summer.
Meanwhile, in an interview with the paper on Apr. 23, US President Barack Obama declared for the first time that the Diaoyutai islands fall under the protection of the US-Japan mutual security treaty. Tokyo is thus more positive that a revision of the Self-Defense Forces Act will be accepted by the US, Yomiuri Shimbun said.
Under the new scenario, the Japan Self-Defense Force would deal with the People's Liberation Army or any other foreign military force that intrudes into Japan's territorial waters, while the coast guard would be responsible for Chinese maritime security vessels. However, the Self-Defense Force would also be tasked with addressing Chinese irregular forces if they were spotted landing on the islands Diaoyutai in civilian clothes.


The islands in the East China Sea have been under Japanese control since 1972 but are also claimed by China and Taiwan. Tensions flared up in September 2012 when Japan nationalized the islands through a purchase from Japanese title-holders, a move condemned by Beijing as an illegal expropriation of Chinese territory.

Japan may form quick reaction force to respond to Diaoyutai attack｜Politics｜News｜WantChinaTimes.com

 

[Ray]

Japan to conduct island defense drill amid tension with China

(Reuters) - Japan will conduct a military exercise this month to practice defending an island, the Defense Ministry said on Thursday, underscoring concern about East China Sea islands controlled by Japan but claimed by China.

The dispute over the islands, called the Senkaku in Japan and Diaoyu in China, has raised fears of a clash between the Asian neighbors which could even drag in the United States.

Separately, China said on Wednesday it would carry out naval exercises with Russia in the East China Sea in what it called a bid to deepen military cooperation.

Japan's Defense Ministry said the island defense exercise would run from May 10 to May 27 on a small uninhabited island in the Ryukyu chain, some 600 km (375 miles) northeast of the disputed isles.

Some parts of the exercise will be held in southwestern Japan's Nagasaki prefecture and waters off Okinawa Island's east coast. Okinawa is home is a major U.S. military base and Japan also bases forces there.

It will be the first time that Japan's military, known as the Self-Defense Forces, will use an actual island for island defense training involving its ground, air and maritime divisions.

About 1,300 troops, as well as several fighter jets and destroyers, will practice landing on and retaking the island, the ministry said.

But it said the exercise was not a response to the tension with China.

"Boosting island defense is something that has been mentioned in the defense white paper in recent years. This is not a drill that is responding to the current security situation surrounding Japan," a ministry spokesman said.

U.S. President Barack Obama said last month while on a visit to Japan that the disputed islands were covered by a U.S.-Japan security treaty, angering China.

Last month, Japan announced it would break ground on a radar base in the area, on a tropical Japanese island close to Taiwan.

The radar station on Yonaguni Island, just 150 km (93 miles) from the disputed islands in the East China Sea, marks Japan's first military expansion at the western end of its island chain in more than 40 years.

Japan to conduct island defense drill amid tension with China | Reuters
********************************************************************************************

Japan is taking the Chinese threat seriously by not only practising military manoeuvres, but building up military infrastructure.

It is a welcome news for the Japanese people that Japan has set up a radar station on Yonaguni Island, just 150 km (93 miles) from the disputed islands in the East China Sea.

This marks Japan's first military expansion at the western end of its island chain in more than 40 years.

 

[nrupatunga]

China Scrambled Jets in Response to 'Dangerous' Japanese Air Intrusion

China said on Sunday it scrambled jets in the East China Sea after Japanese aircraft intruded into its air defense zone and carried out "dangerous actions" during a joint maritime exercise with Russia.

The Defense Ministry said on its website that the Japanese aircraft had entered the zone on Saturday despite "no fly" notices issued before the exercises. China declared the zone last year despite protests by Japan and the United States.

"Japanese military planes intruded on the exercise's airspace without permission and carried out dangerous actions, in a serious violation of international laws and standards, which could have easily caused a misunderstanding and even led to a mid-air accident," the statement said.

Japan's defense ministry had earlier said that Chinese fighter jets flew within a few dozen meters of its military planes over the East China Sea.

 

[cobra commando]

Japan names disputed islets in East China Sea - The Hindu

 

[nrupatunga]

China: Japanese Fighter Jets Shadowed Our Planes over Disputed Waters

Japanese fighter jets shadowed Chinese aircraft patrolling over disputed waters, China's Ministry of Defense said on Thursday, in the latest flare-up of a spat over air space that has deepened a rift between the two countries. Tension has been high between Asia's two largest economies in recent months, with each accusing the other of flying military aircraft too close to its own jets in a long-running territorial dispute. Both sides claim a string of Japanese-administered islets in the East China Sea, known as Senkaku in Japan and Diaoyu in China. Beijing declared an air defense zone covering most of the East China Sea last year, sparking protests from Japan and the United States.

China took "necessary measures" when numerous Japanese planes entered its East China Sea Air Defense Identification Zone during China's routine air patrols on Wednesday to safeguard "order and security," the ministry said on its website. "Japanese F-15 fighter jets twice attempted to shadow Chinese patrol planes. China's air force took reasonable, fair and restrained measures to respond to the threat," the ministry said, citing air force spokesman Colonel Shen Jinke. Japan's Ministry of Defense told Reuters it had no information on the incident.

 

[cobra commando]

TASS: World - Tokyo protests Chinese vessels entry into waters near disputed islands in East China Sea

TOKYO, November 25. /TASS/. Japan has lodged an official protest with Beijing against the entry of Chinese patrol vessels into the zone of disputed islands in the East China Sea, which Tokyo considers its territorial waters. The Japanese government said the protest has been sent to the Chinese side through the diplomatic channels. Earlier on Tuesday, three Chinese patrol vessels were seen in the area to the north- west of the Kubadzima Island. This is the first such incident after Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe and Chinese President Xi Jinping met on the sidelines of the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) summit in Beijing. Tensions over the group of uninhabited islands increased in September 2012 after Tokyo announced plans to buy them from private owners. After that move, mass anti-Japanese protests hit China. Since then, Chinese vessels have been repeatedly seen near the disputed Senkaku Islands, also known as the Diaoyu Islands in China. Japan's coastal guards have asked to double their budget in 2015 to $447 million to buy new patrol vessels and aircraft and organize round-the-clock patrolling of the area. Beijing maintains that Japan had annexed the islands by force and they should be given back to China under the terms of Tokyo's surrender during World War II. Japan has refused to negotiate the issue.

 

[sorcerer]

Is China Building a Base Near the Senkakus?

New satellite imagery confirms that it is, with more clarification on specifics.

Satellite imagery analysis by IHS Jane's released on January 22 confirms Japanese media reports last month that China is building a military base on islands near the disputed Senkaku/Diaoyu islands.

The analysis, which compared images captured from October 2013 to October 2014, shows a heliport with 10 landing pads being built in the center of the main Nanji Island, part of a group of islands that are part of Zhejiang province and are located about 300 kilometers (190 miles) away from the disputed Senkaku/Diaoyu Islands.

However, in contrast to earlier media reports, the analysis shows no signs of an airstrip under construction, only existing radar and communication sites. Jane's also notes that without an airfield currently in place, the closest one would be at a base in Luqiao 380 km away from the Senkaku/Diaoyu Islands, which is home to the PLA Navy Air Force's East Sea Fleet 4th Division, 12th Regiment, which operates Chengdu J-10A fighter aircraft.

On December 22, a widely-cited report from Kyodo News had suggested that Beijing was building a large military base on the Nanji islands to improve China's readiness to respond to a potential military crisis and strengthen its surveillance over the air defense identification zone it declared in the East China Sea in November 2013.

But that report cited unconfirmed Chinese sources. Japanese officials declined to comment on the specifics of the initial report, while Chinese statements and media reports reacted with the expected nationalistic bluster, charging that Tokyo was being unnecessarily alarmist. While this quiet militarization is consistent with Chinese behavior in other instances in both the East and South China Sea, Jane's satellite imagery now offers clear, public, visual confirmation that such construction is indeed ongoing.

Japan, meanwhile, is not standing still either. In April, Tokyo announced measures to strengthen its defense and surveillance capabilities with a troop presence and military radar station in Yonaguni, 150 km (93 miles) from the Senkaku/Diaoyu Islands. It is also developing amphibious forces that will be based in Nagasaki, among other moves under consideration as signaled in its record defense budget disclosed earlier this month.

As both China and Japan engage in such activities, Jane's concludes that Beijing's base is a move that risks further escalating the "quiet military buildup" around the Senkaku/Diaoyu Islands by the two countries. Despite the famous handshake between Chinese president Xi Jinping and Japanese prime minister Shinzo Abe on the sidelines of the Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation meeting last November, as well as continued talks on developing mechanisms to manage maritime tensions, the silent saber-rattling by both sides has continued to simmer beneath the surface.

Imagery shows heliport on China's Nanji Islands - IHS Jane's 360

 

[shiphone]

Western media has the long history to organize the well planned smear campaign against the competitor/enemy , Japanese media is another joker/liar in many cases...on the other hand, there are quite some funny audiences outside these nations' territory also enjoying these ridiculous rumor like drug taking which bring them some illusory pleasant sensation....LOL

----------------------
南麂岛 Nanji Island -- an island 50 NM away from the mainland, an emerging tourist attraction used to own 4 diesel generator only .now the locals has :

and

more sites on the other end of the island...yes, it seems they are right about something: those are the pad for the rotating wing...LOL