Japanese paper fears US compromise over South China Sea

Since all members of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations have deep economic connections with China, including those like Vietnam and the Philippines which have conflicting claims in the South China Sea, they are unlikely to support an escalation of conflict between Beijing and Washington over these claims, according to the article. Sun Jianguo, the head of People’s Liberation Army’s delegation to the recent Shangri-La Dialogue in Singapore said China will try its best to maintain peaceful and friendly relationship with Southeast Asian states.

Confirmed: China Is Building a Military Base Near Japan

Last week IHS Jane’s reported that satellite images from October 2014 show that China is building a heliport with 10 landing pads and wind turbines on Nanji Island, which is one of 52 islands on an archipelago that is part of Zhejiang province. Nanji Islands is only 300 km from the disputed Senkaku Islands. By contrast, Okinawa— which hosts major U.S. and Japanese military bases— are 400 km away from the disputed islands.

China may overtake Japan in naval power this year: report

Since Xi Jinping became China’s top leader, there has been a noticeable change in the country’s foreign policy, according to Duowei News, an outlet run by overseas Chinese.

Beijing has implemented a shift in the geopolitical focus of its global strategy, which has seen the relationship with the US and with the European Union displaced as first priority ties for the country. At the same time, China has strengthened its sea power, with many speculating that the power of the PLA Navy is set to overtake that of Japan in 2015.

At the end of November, as the US was scrambling to find a way to contain Russia, a low-profile but important meeting was being held in Beijing — the Central Conference on Work Relating to Foreign Affairs. At the meeting several leaders made key speeches that indicated a change in China’s external geopolitical strategy.

US cannot defeat China over Diaoyutai: professor

Given all the problems the F-35 program has been plagued by, it looks at least at this time, that America might have lost its air superiority advantage in a conflict with China in the Asia Pacific. The United States would need entire carrier fleets to even bring the planes out there, which would then be thrown into the lions den of Chinese next-generation nuclear submarines — which ironically can pop up in the middle of U.S. Navy exercises and say hi without a problem. And that was in 2007, when the current generation of Chinese nuclear subs weren’t yet available.

In other words, America is in serious trouble if a conflict with the PLA ever breaks out.

You can thank the Clintons for the advancement of Chinese military technology that can make America’s defeat a reality.

 

The United States would be unlikely to defeat China in an armed conflict over the disputed Diaoyutai (Senkaku) islands, said Hugh White, professor of strategic studies at Australia National University in Canberra.

The possibility of a war between China and Japan over East China Sea exists, according to White’s article in National Interest. If Beijing and Tokyo start a war, it will be a tough decision for Washington as to whether to intervene or not. Even though the United States is obligated to defend the Japanese adminstration over the Diaoyutais under its mutual security treaty with Japan, supporting Tokyo would mean going to war.

Japan builds two cutters to defend Diaoyutai as Abe seeks Xi meeting

Japan launched two 1,500-ton cutters last month that will be deployed in late October to defend the country’s administration of the disputed Diaoyutai (Senkaku or Diaoyu) islands, at a time when Prime Minister Shinzo Abe is seeking an official meeting with Chinese president Xi Jinping during the APEC summit in Beijing next month, according to the Tokyo-based Asahi Shimbun.

PLA Navy conduct naval exercises to ‘take back’ lost sea territories

The People’s Liberation Army Navy is ready to launch two major exercises in the disputed South and East China Seas between July 26 and Aug. 1 to demonstrate its fighting prowess to Vietnam, the Philippines and Japan, according to the Hong Kong-based Ta Kung Pao.

What would the US do if war were to break out over Diaoyutais?

In an article for the Washington-based National Interest magazine on June 21, US defense expert Harry Kazianis laid out a possible a scenario involving Japan and China clashing over the airspace of the disputed Diaoyutai islands (Senkaku to Japan, Diaoyu to China) in the East China Sea to analyze whether the United States would be ready for such a conflict.

The scenario takes place on Mar. 1, 2015, Kazianis wrote, noting that China has already instituted daily non-naval maritime patrols around the disputed islands while its aircraft carrier, the Liaoning, and other warships have conducted exercises only 50 miles away from the islands since February.

2,000 PLA troops could invade Diaoyutai in 5 hours: WSJ

China has the ability to deploy 2,000 troops to the disputed Diaoyutai islands (Diaoyu to China, Senkaku to Japan) in just five hours using its four Zubr-class air-cushioned landing craft purchased from Russia, according to an Apr. 2 report in the Wall Street Journal.

Although Lieutenant General John Wissler, the commanding general of the US Marine Corps in Okinawa, says that the United States is capable of wiping out invading Chinese forces without mobilizing ground forces, Western military expert have begun to question whether Washington and Tokyo are capable of defending Okinawa from a potential PLA invasion.

US could retake Diaoyutai if China invades, says US general

The United States could overcome a potential Chinese invasion of the disputed Diaoyutai (Diaoyu to China, Senkaku to Japan) islands without even mobilizing ground forces, reports the Stars and Stripes operated by the US military, citing Lt Gen John Wissler, the commanding general of III Marine Expeditionary Force based in Okinawa, Japan, on Apr. 11.

Chinese aircraft enter Japan’s ADIZ

A Tu-154 electronic warfare aircraft of the People’s Liberation Army Air Force and a Y-12 utility aircraft of China’s State Oceanic Administration entered the Japanese air defense identification zone (ADIZ) simultaneously on Feb. 21, according to the state-run China News Service.

Japan secretly developing nuclear weapons: Yazhou Zhoukan

So long as the United States continues suiciding itself out of existence and becoming increasingly unreliable in the eyes of its allies, expect countries with the capability such as Japan to rise up as they are left with no choice. They have the means for ‘breakout capacity’ and can go nuclear within months.

The Hong Kong-based Yazhou Zhoukan reports that Japan is secretly developing a nuclear weapons program in anticipation of a potential crisis over the Diaoyutai (Diaoyu or Senkaku) islands in the East China Sea.

Japan is currently the only nation in the world which has a complete nuclear industry. Mitsubishi, Hitachi and Toshiba are the three largest Japanese companies which produce nuclear energy. Under those three corporations, there are an additional 200 smaller firms which possess nuclear fuel or who have the know-how to handle plutonium.

Japan will shoot down PLA drones if necessary: defense ministry

The Japanese defense ministry said on Sept. 17 that Chinese unmanned aerial vehicles found flying over the disputed Diaoyutai (Diaoyu or Senkaku) islands in the East China Sea will be shot down by the country’s Self-Defense Forces, reports the Tokyo-based Nippon Hoso Kyokai.

Japan unveils largest warship since World War II

YOKOHAMA, Japan (AP) — Japan on Tuesday unveiled its biggest warship since World War II, a huge flat-top destroyer that has raised eyebrows in China and elsewhere because it bears a strong resemblance to a conventional aircraft carrier.

The ship, which has a flight deck that is nearly 250 meters (820 feet) long, is designed to carry up to 14 helicopters. Japanese officials say it will be used in national defense – particularly in anti-submarine warfare and border-area surveillance missions – and to bolster the nation’s ability to transport personnel and supplies in response to large-scale natural disasters, like the devastating earthquake and tsunami in 2011.

Though the ship – dubbed “Izumo” – has been in the works since 2009, its unveiling comes as Japan and China are locked in a dispute over several small islands located between southern Japan and Taiwan. For months, ships from both countries have been conducting patrols around the isles, called the Senkaku in Japan and the Diaoyutai in China.