China’s “marine defense identification zone” looks like a giant sea grab

In the beginning, it’ll start off with ‘fishing vessels’ that will need the People’s Liberation Army Navy (PLAN) or the Chinese coast guard equivalent to redirect these vessels or confiscate them. This will in turn escalate a situation when it takes place since the ‘intruding’ vessels will call in for military backup or come with military backing in future excursions. From then on, one can surely guess this will end up in incidents where maybe a fishing boat gets shot at or is sunk, leading to skirmishes or even a war. China is actually looking for a conflict to give them a reason to assert their power and expand their military reach. Their doctrine has been changed and crafted in such a way that they have to follow through with what’s in the playbook. Nevertheless, look for the United States to continue on the defensive a leave their Asian partners in the cold in these situations.

China’s recent announcement that foreign fishing vessels traveling in disputed areas of the South China sea need to seek permission from China first has been dismissed as “provocative and potentially dangerous” by the US, “threatening the existing international order” by Japan and dangerous to “peace and stability” by the Philippines.

The marine zone which China says it controls ”appears to enclose an area covering roughly 80%” of the South China Sea, a  US Congressional report notes (pdf). The controversial claim, which China claims dates back to the 1940s, is receiving heightened attention due to China’s latest push. It does not respect international agreements on water rights and and violates the claims of its neighbors under UN Convention on the Law of the Sea guidelines. The BBC mapped the overlapping claims to the region:

Japan to nationalise 280 remote islands

Tokyo: Japan will nationalise about 280 of the about 400 remote islands that serve as markers for determining Japan’s territorial waters, the state minister for oceanic policy and territorial issues has announced.

Under the plan, announced on Tuesday, the government will complete its search for the islands’ owners by June. Islands whose owners have not been tracked down by then will be registered on the national asset ledger.

U.S. fretting over Japan’s desire to militarily strike enemy bases

The United States has expressed concern about Japan’s desire to acquire the ability to attack enemy bases in an overhaul of its defense policies pursued by Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, a government source said in Tokyo.

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Taiwan to build pier for warships in Spratlys

MANILA, Philippines – Taiwan has earmarked $110 million for the construction of a pier on Spratlys’ Taiping Island, which the Philippines has also laid claims, set to be completed by 2015.

The new project can hold frigates, radar-evading corvettes and Taiwanese Navy’s Kuang Hua VI-class missile boats, according to reports by Taiwanese media on Monday.