China
‘sharpens response’, starts military exercises near disputed
islands
The
Chinese navy is set to begin joint military exercises on Friday in
the East China Sea. The exercises will take place on the doorstep of
the islands at the heart of the recent tensions between Japan and the
mainland.
RT,
19
October, 2012
The
exercises were announced on Thursday, and will include vessels from
the Chinese fishing agency and maritime surveillance. China’s
Xinhua news agency reported that a total of 11 navy vessels and eight
naval aircraft will participate in the maneuvers, “improving
coordination between the navy and administrative patrol vessels and
sharpening their response to emergencies in missions to safeguard
territorial sovereignty and maritime interests,” according to a
Chinese navy statement.
The
latest round of saber-rattling comes amid high tensions in the East
China Sea following the Japanese acquisition of several disputed
islands in September. The islands, called Senkaku in Japan and Diaoyu
in China, have long been administered by the Japanese, but are
claimed by China, as well as Taiwan.
After
the Japanese government purchased the islands from a private owner on
September 5, tensions in the region escalated dramatically. Chinese
and Taiwanese flotillas immediately set sail for the islands, only to
be pummeled by Japanese water cannons.
Xinhua
also quoted the Chinese fleet statement as saying that fishing patrol
vessels in the area had been “stalked, harassed and even
intentionally interfered with by foreign vessels, greatly challenging
their duties.”
Chinese
fishing boats have repeatedly claimed territorial fishing rights in
the region.
Adding
weight to the conflict over the uninhabited islands are the suspected
large natural gas reserves in the surrounding waters.
Exercises
‘legitimate’, economics in play
Japanese
TV channel Fuji TV first reported that Chinese vessels were
maneuvering towards the disputed islands on Tuesday, and that
Japanese military surveillance aircraft had been dispatched to
monitor them, citing government sources. In response, China’s
Ministry of Defense issued a statement stating the "Chinese navy
vessels' routine training and navigation in the waters in question is
justified and legitimate."
If
the Chinese ships attempt to breach Japanese-controlled waters, it
would inflame a situation which is unstable at best. The past month
has seen violent anti-Japan demonstrations across China, while
several Japanese companies and manufacturers have hoisted anchor,
closing their stores and factories on the mainland in response.
Dr.
Joseph Gerson, an expert in Asia-Pacific affairs and programs
director at the American Friends Service Committee, told RT that
although the islands remain a dangerous flashpoint for the two
nations, the importance of China-Japan economic ties may outweigh the
consequences of full-scale war.
“They’re
both competitors and partners in trade,” he said. “During the
last crisis over these islands, the Chinese, at least for a period of
time, embargoed the sale and trade of rare earth, which is essential
to Japan’s high-tech economy. At the same time, China needs
Japanese investment, so a war would cost both, and I think that’s
one reason why it didn’t happen,” Gerson said.
Gerson
added that while the situation had calmed somewhat after a short
period on the brink of crisis, it could still “flare up at any time
that it meets the interest of political leaders seeking to manipulate
the situation.”
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