War Between China And Japan?

Are China And Japan Inching Closer To War Over A Few Disputed Islets? -- Hannah Beach, Time

Tensions heightened after Beijing announces rules for “East China Sea Air Defense Identification Zone” that includes territory claimed by both nations

The announcement came on a weekend, just as the world’s attention was diverted by tense negotiations towards an Iranian nuclear deal. On Saturday, Nov. 23, Beijing announced “aircraft identification rules” for an “East China Sea Air Defense Identification Zone” that includes the skies over a scattering of rocks that China calls the Diaoyu.

Japan, which currently administers the outcroppings and uses the name Senkaku to refer to the contested territory, has cried foul. On Sunday, Japan’s Foreign Minister Fumio Kishida said that Tokyo refused to recognize Beijing’s division of the heavens. “It was a one-sided action and cannot be allowed,” Kishida said, warning that Beijing’s move was “expected to trigger unpredictable events.”

Read more ....

Update: Analysis: Risk of conflict in East China Sea -- Jonathan Marcus, BBC

My Comment: I have been traveling regularly to the Far East for almost 30 years .... and I have never seen this level of hostility and bitterness between the two countries. And while I do not believe that a full scale war will break out .... the possibility of an accidental conflict is very real .... and if bullets start to fly who knows what that may eventually lead to. In the event of hostilities breaking out .... tensions in the Far East will be at the highest level in decades .... as for the rest of the world .... expect a global recession or something worse. When the world's number two and number three economies are focused on conflict and military engagement .... the consequences will be far and unpredictable.