Japan talk of warning shots heats up China dispute By ERIC TALMADGE, Associated Press TOKYO (AP) — Japan says it may fire warning shots and take other measures to keep foreign aircraft from violating its airspace in the latest verbal blast between Tokyo and Beijing that raises concerns that a dispute over hotly contested islands could spin out of control. Japanese officials made the comments after Chinese fighters tailed its warplanes near the islands recently. The incident is believed to be the first scrambling of Chinese fighters since the tensions began to rise last spring. According to Chinese media, a pair of J-10 fighters was scrambled after Japanese F-15s began tailing a Chinese surveillance plane near the disputed islands in the East China Sea. China has complained the surveillance flight did not violate Japanese airspace and the F-15s were harassing it. It was the first time the Chinese media has reported fighters being mobilized to respond to Japanese air force activity in the area and comes amid what Japan says is a rapid intensification of Chinese air force activity around the islands, where Japanese and Chinese coast guard ships have squared off for months. Though there have been no outright clashes, the increased sea and air operations have fueled worries that the situation could spin out of control. Such concerns have grown over official comments suggesting new Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe and his Cabinet are considering the use of "tracer" fire as a means of responding to airspace incursions. Tracer rounds are designed to burn brightly to get the attention of a pilot who may have missed other warnings due to a radio malfunction, while also indicating that the aircraft firing them is prepared to take further action. "Every country has procedures for how to deal with a violation of its territory that continues after multiple cautionary measures," Japanese Defense Minister Itsunori Onodera said Wednesday when asked if tracer shots would be fired against intruding aircraft that refuse to change course. "We have response measures ready that are consistent with global standards." Onodera said the use of warning shots has long been provided for under Japan's defense policies and is widely accepted under international rules of engagement. Japan's air force has not actually resorted to them since 1987 — against a Soviet aircraft — and none were fired last week. But Chinese and Japanese media have suggested Tokyo is publicly floating the possibility to test China's reaction. The escalation of tensions has worried the United States, with Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton saying Friday that while the U.S. doesn't take a position on who has sovereignty over the islands, it opposes "any unilateral actions that would seek to undermine Japanese administration." That brought a sharp retort from the Chinese Foreign Ministry on Sunday. The comments "ignore the facts" that the islands are China's inherent territory, spokesman Qin Gang said in a statement that urged the U.S. to adopt "a responsible attitude." In Beijing last week, a Foreign Ministry spokesman said China is on "high alert" and suggested Japan is escalating the tensions over the islands, called the Diaoyu in China and the Senkaku in Japan. Taiwan also claims the small isles, which are uninhabited but may be surrounded by valuable underwater natural resources. "Chinese planes and ships are exercising normal jurisdiction in the waters and airspace surrounding the Diaoyu Islands," spokesman Hong Lei said. "We are opposed to the operations of Japan's planes and ships, which violate our rights around Diaoyu. We are on high alert against this escalation." As is often the case, Chinese media quoted military academics with a much more fiery response. "Japan's desire to fire tracer warning shots as a way of frightening the Chinese is nothing but a joke that shows the stupidity, cruelty and failure to understand their own limitations," Maj. Gen. Peng Guangqian of the Chinese Academy of Military Sciences was quoted as saying by the China News Service and other state media. "Firing tracer bullets is a type of provocation; it's firing the first shot," he said. "Were Japan to dare to fire tracers, which is to say fire the first shot, then China wouldn't stint on responding and not allow them to fire the second shot." Peng said Japan may have put out the report to generate discussion and gauge China's response. Read more: Japan talk of warning shots heats up China dispute - SFGate Read more: Japan talk of warning shots heats up China dispute - SFGate ************************************* Things are hotting up. Ms Clinton's statement that US is obliged by the US Japan Treaty seems to have had its effect. One wonders what China will do now. Will the escalate or will they take it lying down? If they take it lying down, they will loose all the brouhaha they have created in the South China Sea as the new tough kid around the block. So, what will happen?
Re: Japan talk of warning shots heats up China dispute By ERIC TALMADG China-Japan island dispute: Beijing orders helicopter units to be combat ready - The Times of India I hope the Japanese fire tracers. If the J-10s respond with live fire, we might finally see how good the J-10 is, against a combat proven platform like the F-15.
Re: Japan talk of warning shots heats up China dispute By ERIC TALMADG This is the ideal situation for USA -second and third largest economies to fight and Bring back economic growth to USA.
Re: Japan talk of warning shots heats up China dispute By ERIC TALMADG great point it will also be a chance for japan to make compensation for their humiliating defeat in W W 2 with the tables turned this time around so ultimately i think prc will talk BIG before backing down
Re: Japan talk of warning shots heats up China dispute By ERIC TALMADG Also both nations are large US debt holders which can cushion any debt repayment issues(principal,interest,redemption) to only one nation (the winner).
Re: Japan talk of warning shots heats up China dispute By ERIC TALMADG Well, There will be no total war or even limited war for that island since both sides have no intention to start it. The maximum loss for either side in a possible conflict would be couple of planes and couple of ships. I really don't think China or Japan would got a headache for that loss. So, don't worry, US still has to pay the debt.
If India can not or will not take on the paper Tiger then what are we!!! I think its time we join the coalition of the anti-fascists (Japan ,Vietnam,South Korea and others) and put the PRC in its place.China has to be stopped at any cost.
Thank God Abe is the PM of Japan. Any other might have blinked. Japan has rightly taken up the fight. If it blinks, it will embolden the Chinese and takeover the entire region. If Japan holds firm and say makes the Chinese blink, it will give a big boost to the regions smaller countries fighting Chinese bullying. I really do hope Japan fires at the Chini aircrafts. I would prefer them sending a plane into the sea of Japan rather than fire tracers.
rather than joining those you mentioned at a lower level India should take up Hilary clinton's offer to "be more active " which she made a couple of months ago ) and could have proposed the coalition with ourselves assisting the U:S: at the first tier of leadership , being the largest 2 nations in the coalition ...and with the other nations falling in line ( with US leadership this could have been ploughed through ) - alas we continue to waste such opportunities in favour of some outmoded and by now nebulous "non-alignment"
