A Chinese Coast Guard vessel is pictured on the disputed Second Thomas Shoal, part of the Spratly Islands, in the South China Sea March 29, 2014. Photo: Reuters
Japan says its concerns over China's military buildup in the South and East China Seas are shared by many other countries. The issue is expected to be discussed at upcoming talks between the two countries.
Speaking ahead of a visit to Beijing, Japanese Foreign Minister Fumio Kishida on Monday said China's activities had "not only people in Japan, but countries in the Asia-Pacific region and the international community greatly worried."
Relations between the two countries have long been strained over competing territorial claims in the East China Sea. The main source of the spat is a group of uninhabited islets. The Senkaku Islands are administered by Japan, but also claimed by China and Taiwan where they are known as Diaoyu and Tiaoyutai, respectively.
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Update#1: JAPAN: China's military buildup is making the world 'greatly worried' (Reuters).
Update #2: South China Sea: The fight China will take to the brink of war (Peter hartcher, Sydney Morning Herald).
WNU Editor: This does not help the situation .... Beijing ‘To Reclaim Land’ On Another Reef In Disputed South China Sea, Could Build Runway: Chinese Naval Source (IBTimes).
1 comment:
TWN,
Even Donald Trump has stated to roughly paraphrase "if Japan gets attacked the US is expected to risk WWIII to defend Japan. If the United States gets attacked, Japan does not have to do anything." As such, this tends to suggest he may not honor this "obligatikn."
For what it's worth, treaty obligations of the type with Japan, NATO natikns, and others were made in different times and are at best unwise today and at worst completely unworkable in todays's world. They needed to be renegotiated in 1998. Today they REALLY need to be renegotiated.
It should be made clear to these nations (I would call them parasites) that they need to renegotiate with us in good faith or we are prepared to leave the agreements all together and they need to understand we nean it!! As an American, I'm apprecitive of the confidence you have in our mikitary even though it would seem unwarranted.
The US military both the men and the equipment are badly worn down from continuing fruitless operations around the world, the military leadedship is incompetent, morale is low, and training is substandard. As such, the US military would hard pressed to defend the US mainland much less defend Japan or anyone else for that matter.
Furthermore even if the US military could go toe to toe with the Chinese military to try and do so would sedm unwise as the US is much more dependent upon "made in China" than China is on "sold in USA." This situatikn can and should be changed but to do so will take major policy changes and time. It would seem US interests and the interests of Japan and other regiknal nations diverge wildly here. Bottom line: these ridiculous treaty obligations desperately need to renegotiated.
I think we can agree US political leadership is abysmal. I would use a much more colorful metaphor to describe it but you did "put it mildly."
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