Japan - China tensions intensify

1,000 Chinese boats to arrive in waters near Senkakus: report




Mainichi,

17 September, 2012

Around 1,000 Chinese fishing boats are expected to arrive in waters near the Senkaku Islands claimed by China later Monday, the state-run China National Radio reported, in what may be Beijing's additional countermeasures over Japan's nationalization of the islets.

If a large number of Chinese vessels intrude into Japanese territorial waters around the Japanese-controlled islands in the East China Sea, it could trigger unexpected incidents such as clashes with Japan Coast Guard patrol ships, further escalating tensions between the two countries.

The radio station said in an online edition that Chinese fisheries authorities will monitor the fishing boats' activities near the uninhabited islets, which Beijing calls Diaoyu, via a marine observation satellite.

The 1,000 boats from coastal provinces such as Zhejiang and Fujian may be joined by six Chinese surveillance ships that have been staying in nearby waters since intruding into Japanese territorial waters near the islands Friday.

Meanwhile, anti-Japan protests continued in Beijing for the seventh straight day on Monday, but were much smaller than the mass demonstrations -- some violent -- that took place across China over the weekend.

As police tightened security around the Japanese Embassy, about 200 people on Monday marched on a street in front of the embassy, protesting the Japanese government's announcement on Tuesday last week that it put the islands under state control by signing a purchase contract with the owner of three of the islands, a Japanese individual.

Some of the protests on Saturday and Sunday involved vandalism, looting and arson targeting Japanese factories, stores and restaurants operating in the country.

Anti-Japan protests are likely to continue up to the 81st anniversary on Tuesday of the start of the 1931 Mukden Incident, also known as the Manchurian Incident, in which the Imperial Japanese Army blew up a Japanese railway in southern Manchuria to serve as a pretext for invading northeastern China.

Japan maintains the Senkaku Islands are an integral part of Japanese territory and that there are no territorial disputes between the two countries. Taiwan also claims sovereignty over the islands, which are known as Tiaoyutai to the Taiwanese.

The following video is from Chinese television

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Chinese fishing boat intrusion could lead to 'new stage,' Noda aide says

Japan cannot remain idle if Chinese fishing boats arrive near the Senkaku Islands, an intrusion that could bring the dispute to a new level, an aide to Prime Minister Yoshihiko Noda said.

Asahi,

17 September, 2012

The Japanese government has so far refrained from taking provocative action over the anti-Japan demonstrations that have spread across China. But reports that a large number of Chinese fishing vessels were heading toward the disputed islands in the East China Sea on Sept. 17 have exacerbated concerns in the Noda administration.

An approaching typhoon thwarted Chinese fishermen’s plan to go to the islands on Sept. 16, when the Chinese government lifted a ban on fishing in the East China Sea. But that plan was apparently revived the following day.

When asked about Japan’s preparation for “any possible contingency,” Noda on Sept. 16 instructed bureaucrats to “deal with the situation based on Japanese law.”

“The government is taking a wait-and-see approach for the moment. But we will not be able to sit by idly if fishing vessels reach the Senkaku Islands in large numbers,” the aide to Noda said. “It could lead to a new stage.”

Government officials fear that Japan may be forced to arrest the captains of the Chinese fishing boats if they enter Japan’s territorial waters. If the Japan Coast Guard, which is primarily responsible for patrolling, cannot control the situation around the uninhabited islands, the Japanese government might be forced to dispatch the Self-Defense Forces.

Either response would likely anger Beijing and fuel anti-Japanese sentiment in China.

The protests erupted in China after the Japanese government bought three of the disputed islands from a private landowner in Saitama Prefecture. In some cities, looting, vandalism and other acts of destruction against Japanese products and interests have been reported.

As the demonstrations escalated on Sept. 16, Uichiro Niwa, the Japanese ambassador to China, repeated Japan’s request to the Chinese foreign ministry to take all necessary steps to protect Japanese in the country from the violence.

“We are urging China to ensure the safety of Japanese citizens and Japanese companies,” Noda said on a program aired by Japan Broadcasting Corp. on Sept. 16.

The prime minister also stressed the importance of making a “calm response that is aimed at deepening strategic, mutually beneficial relations.”

The Japanese Foreign Ministry has not issued a warning against travel to China. But its website is urging Japanese travelers in China to take precautions, citing the mass anti-Japan demonstrations expected on Sept. 18, the 81st anniversary of the bombing that led to the Manchurian Incident, when Japanese forces invaded northeastern China.

Tokyo has only issued requests to Beijing about the anti-Japan demonstrations, worried that a more aggressive response could further aggravate relations with China, government sources said.

“We are making sure to avoid an armed conflict,” a Cabinet member said.

GROWING UNEASE

In China itself, fears are rising among Japanese companies.

Local police notified the president of a Japanese company in Zhuhai, Guangdong province, about protest-related damage to factories operated by Japanese companies in the city on Sept. 15.

“I cannot believe production facilities at factories were destroyed,” the president said on Sept. 16.

In one case, a labor dispute drew thousands of anti-Japan protesters following the Japanese government’s purchase on Sept. 11 of the three islets.

Local police advised the president to instruct employees to stay home for some time, saying some Chinese may resort to violence if they see Japanese citizens.

At some 7-Eleven convenience stores in Beijing, staff removed from the shelves chocolate, beer and other products made by Japanese-affiliated companies, as well as cosmetics imported from Japan.

“We took them off at the order of our headquarters,” a sales clerk said. “We don’t know when we will put them back.”

Some Japanese businesses, including the Bank of Tokyo-Mitsubishi UFJ’s branch in Beijing, have hidden their sign boards and ads from public view to avoid becoming the target of looters and vandals.

Others have suspended operations until at least Sept. 18.

Canon Inc., which manufactures digital cameras and copiers in China, closed three key factories on Sept. 17 and 18. Each plant employs thousands of workers.

“(The step) is to ensure the safety of all employees, including Chinese,” said a Canon official.

The official said local authorities suggested the company suspend operations at its factory in Zhuhai. Other Japanese companies operating in the area are believed to have received similar advice.

Many Japanese companies are calling on their employees to stay alert.

Hitachi Ltd. in late August issued an in-house advisory for its Japanese employees in China not to walk alone if possible and not to speak Japanese out loud in public.

Sharp Corp. on Sept. 13 instructed its employees in China not to venture outside unless it is absolutely necessary, while Olympus Corp. began restricting business trips to China on Sept. 14.

Japanese firms close plants in China ahead of new protests

Major Japanese producers have announced factory shutdowns and shop closings in China in the days before a possible fresh round of anti-Japanese protests over a territorial dispute.

RT,

17 September, 2012

Japanese car maker Nissan Motor Co said it suspends China production for two days on Monday, while Honda said it will suspend production starting on Tuesday for two days after attacks on its showrooms over the weekend. The Uniqlo apparel retailer closed outlets in China and said it may close more.

Mazda Motor Corp will halt production at its Nanjing factory, which it jointly operates with Chongqing Changan Automobile Co and Ford Motor Co, for four days. Meanwhile electronics major Panasonic said one of its plants had been sabotaged by Chinese workers and would remain closed through Tuesday. Canon Inc plans to shut down three of its four Chinese factories on Tuesday.

The new protests over the reported purchase of three disputed islands by Japan are expected on Tuesday – the anniversary of Japan’s occupation of parts of mainland China in 1931.

The Japanese authorities have warned against unnecessary travel to China and called expatriates to stay indoors ahead of probable anti-Japanese protests. Meanwhile All Nippon Airways reported a boost in cancellations on Japan-bound flights from China. Many Japanese schools across China, including in Beijing and Shanghai, have cancelled classes this week.

China and Japan have been arguing over a group of uninhabited islets in the East China Sea. Last week the Japanese government said it had bought three of the islands owned by the Kurihara family. The move infuriated Beijing and triggered large-scale protests across China.

The Chinese government has warned that the territorial dispute between Japan and China threatens trade relations but has pledged to protect Japanese firms and citizens.

"The gravely destructive consequences of Japan's illegal purchase of the Diaoyu Islands are steadily emerging, and the responsibility for this should be borne by Japan," Foreign Ministry spokesman Hong Lei said at a news briefing.

China and Japan – Asia’s biggest economies – generated trade worth $345 billion last year. The anti-Japanese protests over the weekend also hit the shares of Hong Kong-listed Japanese companies on Monday. Meanwhile Chinese activists are calling for a boycott of Japanese goods at a protest outside the country’s embassy in Beijing.

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