Chinese Warships Encroach on Japanese Territorial Waters

[jimmy olsen]

Alarming, especially with the US navy the smallest it's been in nearly a hundred years.

http://www.ft.com/cms/s/0/3db28126-475e-11df-b253-00144feab49a.html

Japan urges China warships probe

By Mure Dickie in Tokyo and Kathrin Hille

Published: April 14 2010 03:00 | Last updated: April 14 2010 03:00

Japan's defence minister yesterday called for efforts to establish the intentions of an extraordinarily large group of about 10 Chinese warships and submarines that passed through international waters near Okinawa last weekend.

The comments by Toshimi Kitazawa highlight concerns in the Japanese security establishment about China's rapidly growing naval power and its implications for long-standing disputes over maritime territory and resources between east Asia's premier powers.

A Japanese official said the passage of the Chinese naval vessels followed an "extremely dangerous" incident in the East China Sea last week in which a ship-based Chinese helicopter came within 90 metres of a Japanese destroyer. Tokyo had protested about the manoeuvre "through diplomatic channels", the official said.

Mr Kitazawa acknowledged that the Chinese vessels, which included submarines, destroyers and frigates, had remained within international waters but said the "unprecedented" nature of the action needed more investigation.

A defence official said the number of Chinese vessels passing together through the gap between Japan's southern Okinawa and Miyako islands had grown steadily in recent years, from four during one passage in 2008, to five on another occasion in 2009 and six during yet another last month.

"I want to look carefully into whether [the most recent passage] was directed against our nation and then consider how to respond," Mr Kitazawa said.

Many in Japan's defence establishment have long been concerned about increasingly successful efforts of China's People's Liberation Army Navy to transform itself from a weak coastal defence force into a genuine navy.

Japan and China dispute sovereignty over islands in the East China Sea and have overlapping economic claims to its potentially vast gas resources.

In a landmark agreement aimed at easing tensions, Tokyo and Beijing in 2008 agreed to jointly develop gas fields in disputed areas but Japanese officials say their Chinese counterparts have yet to engage seriously in how to implement the agreement.

[Razgovory]

Okay, I missed something here because what the article says and your statements don't mesh well.

[CountDeMoney]

Okay, I missed something here because what the article says and your statements don't mesh well.

Alarming.

[Razgovory]

Okay, I missed something here because what the article says and your statements don't mesh well.

Alarming.

If the Chinese conquered Japan and put them all into labor camps I think it would be an acceptable price to pay to rid the world of anime.

[Monoriu]

Japan's defence minister yesterday called for efforts to establish the intentions of an extraordinarily large group of about 10 Chinese warships and submarines that passed through international waters near Okinawa last weekend.

Your own article refutes your thread title

[jimmy olsen]

Japan's defence minister yesterday called for efforts to establish the intentions of an extraordinarily large group of about 10 Chinese warships and submarines that passed through international waters near Okinawa last weekend.

Your own article refutes your thread title

They were quite close, and next time they'll get a bit closer, and so on.

[CountDeMoney]

Alarming.

[Richard Hakluyt]

Worrying.

[Monoriu]

They were quite close, and next time they'll get a bit closer, and so on.

Yeah, if I punch the air next to you can I be arrested for hitting you, because "I was quite close and next time I'll get a bit closer, and so on." 

[Grey Fox]

Alright. I guess Japan needs to build more boats then.

[grumbler]

"China's rapidly growing naval power?"  WTF?  China's surface fleet has been near 70 ships for a decade, and was twice that size twenty years ago.  Submarine force levels have been about the same: about 100 submarines 20 years ago, cut to about 55 modern models ten years ago, and maintained at that level since.  the force is expected to grow to 10 or 12 nukes over time, but those nukes will likely replace diesel boats in the OOB.

Methinks someone is crying wolf, here.

[Josquius]

Alarming, especially with the US navy the smallest it's been in nearly a hundred years.

Sorry, thats just so typical right wing and hawkish.

Smaller than 'overkillx100' just means 'overkillx50'

[HisMajestyBOB]

Japan is traditional Chinese territory, anyway.

[Tamas]

I know what happened: I bought some Chinese stock. Since that, there was an earthquake in China, and now this.  If CdM agrees to cover my loss, I will buy some more to trigger WW3.

[Josephus]

A Japo/China war would be cool. Getting tired of Hajjis and Cowboys and Arabs.