China Warns Japan To Stay Out Of The South China Sea Dispute

Chinese Premier Li Keqiang (R) meets with Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe in Ulan Bator, Mongolia, July 15, 2016. (Xinhua/Pang Xinglei)

Reuters: China tells Japan to stop interfering in South China Sea

Chinese Premier Li Keqiang told Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe on Friday that his country should stop interfering and hyping up the South China Sea issue, as the dispute took center stage at a key regional summit in Mongolia.

China has refused to recognize Tuesday's ruling by an arbitration court in The Hague invalidating China's vast claims in the South China Sea and did not take part in the proceedings. It has reacted angrily to calls by Western countries and Japan for the decision to be adhered to.

Meeting in the Mongolian capital Ulaanbaatar, Li told Abe that China's stance on the South China Sea was completely in line with international law, state news agency Xinhua reported.

"Japan is not a state directly involved in the South China Sea issue, and thus should exercise caution in its own words and deeds, and stop hyping up and interfering", Li said, according to Xinhua.

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Update #1: Chinese premier urges Japan not to interfere in South China Sea issue (Xinhua)
Update #2: China Tells Japan to Stay Away From South China Sea Dispute (China Topix)

WNU Editor: Japan responds .... Japan PM tells China's Li international law must be respected: Kyodo (Reuters). More here .... Abe, Li restate their S. China Sea stances (Japan News).

Chinese - Japanese Tensions Continue Over Boundary Disputes

Reuters: China just gave Japan an ominous warning

Japan's release of pictures of Chinese construction activity in the East China Sea will only provoke confrontation between the two countries and do nothing for efforts to promote dialogue, China's foreign ministry said.

In a defense review this week, Japan urged Beijing to stop building oil- and gas-exploration platforms close to disputed waters in the East China Sea and expressed concern that Chinese drills could tap reservoirs that extend into Japan's waters.

More News On Chinese - Japanese Tensions Continuing Over Their Boundary Disputes

Japan and China square off over disputed East China Sea territory -- CSM
Japan sharpens censure of China disputed sea activity -- BBC
Japan Warns of China's 'Assertive' Maritime Actions -- VOA
Japan Releases Photos of Chinese Rigs in East China Sea -- Bloomberg
Japan offers new evidence in islands row with China -- AP
Japan demands China halt oil exploration in part of East China Sea -- Reuters
Japan-China Territorial Dispute: Map And Photos Of China Gas Project Released By Japanese Officials -- IBTimes
China says Japan defence review misleading, Japan releases photos -- Reuters
China warns Japan against shirking responsibility for WWII -- AP
China calls Japan foreign policy 'two-faced' -- Reuters
China Sees Its Competition With Japan Grow -- Stratfor
War between China and Japan ended 70 years ago, but fighting continues -- Anna Fitfield, Washington Post

China Announces That Its Next Military Parade Will Be To 'Frighten' Japan

Shannon Tiezzi, The Diplomat: China's Military Parade: A Warning to Japan and the US

China’s military parade is not only meant to “intimidate” Japan — it’s a signal to the U.S. as well.

WNU Editor: I suspect that the Chinese will not only successfully frighten Japan .... but they will also frighten everyone else .... including some in the U.S..

More News On China Announcing That Its Next Military Parade Will Be To 'Frighten' Japan

China to hold first military parade dedicated to WWII victory -- Xinhuanet
China plans military parade -- Global Times
Report: China To Hold Military Parade To 'Frighten Japan' -- Defense News/AFP
China will hold huge parade to ‘frighten Japan’ -- The Asian Times/AFP/PYI/Reuters
Preparations for Xi's first military parade underway in Beijing -- Want China Times
China media: Military might -- BBC
China blasted for taking ‘bullying approach’ towards Japan with military parade -- South China Morning Post

Frosty Meeting Between Chinese - Japanese Leaders At APEC

China's Xi, Japan's Abe Hold Landmark Meeting After Awkward Handshake -- Reuters

(Reuters) - After an awkward handshake, Chinese President Xi Jinping and Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe held formal talks on Monday for the first time since the two leaders took office, a breakthrough in efforts to improve ties between the Asian rivals.

Television footage showed Abe waiting for Xi to greet him at Beijing's Great Hall of the People, a departure from usual protocol in which the Chinese leader is on hand waiting for a guest. Xi was unsmiling and stiff as the two shook hands and he did not speak to Abe when they first met.

China and Japan, the world's second- and third-largest economies, have rowed bitterly in the past two years over disputed islands, regional rivalry and the legacy of Japan's wartime occupation of China.

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More News On Today's Frosty Meeting Between Chinese - Japanese Leaders At APEC

An awkward handshake: Leaders of China, Japan meet -- AP
China's Xi, Japan's Abe meet with stony faces, icy hands -- Times of India
After two year of animosity, Xi, Abe meet as big-power rivalries take centrestage at Apec meet -- Times of India/AFP
Leaders of Japan, China meet in Beijing after long frosty spell -- L.A. Times
Leaders of China and Japan Hold Long-Awaited Meeting -- NYT
Apec summit: China and Japan in ice-breaker talks -- BBC
Warming China-Japan Relations Unlikely to Resolve Conflicts -- VOA

China Seizes Japanese Ship Over World War II Reparations

A Chinese court has ordered the seizure as compensation for the loss of two ships leased from a Chinese company before the two countries went to war in 1937 of the 226,434-ton Baosteel Emotion. Mitsui OSK Lines Ltd.

Chinese Court Seizes Japanese Vessel to Enforce WW2-Related Ruling -- The Diplomat

The Shanghai Maritime Court seized a Japanese vessel to compensate for WW2-era losses to a Chinese firm.

The Shanghai Maritime Court has seized a Japanese ship owned by Mitsui O.S.K. Lines (MOL). The vessel, Baosteel Emotion, was seized to provide payment for a judgment against MOL relating to the use (and eventual loss) of two Chinese ships by the firm during World War II. Financial Times called the seizure “an unprecedented asset confiscation for wartime compensation.”

The seizure of Baosteel Emotion is perhaps the most dramatic turn in a case that has dragged on since the 1930s. In 1936, the Chinese company Chung Wei Steamship Co. leased two ships for one year to a Japanese shipping line, Daido Kaiun. However, in 1937 the ships were commandeered by the Japanese navy, which did not pay any leasing fees to Chung Wei. Both ships eventually sank while in the service of Japan’s navy. For decades, the Chen family (the owners of Chung Wei Steamship Co.) have been unsuccessfully trying to receive payment for the ships from Daido Kaiun’s successor firm, Mitsui O.S.K.

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More News On China Seizing A Japanese Ship Over World War II Reparations

China seizes Japanese cargo ship over pre-war debt -- BBC
China impounds the freighter Baosteel Emotion as war reparation for two ships lost to Japan in 1930s -- National Post/Bloomberg
Chinese Court Orders Japanese Boat Seized for Wartime Compensation -- Voice of America
Chinese Court Orders Seizure of Japanese Vessel -- New York Times
Chinese court detains Japanese boat over unpaid damages -- Global Times/Xinhua
China ship seizure hikes redress fears -- Japan Times/Kyodo news
Japan Warns China Over Ship Seizure -- Defense News/AFP

Update: China is denying reports that this seizure is due to World War II compensation claims .... Seizure of Japanese ship unrelated to wartime compensation: FM -- Xinhua

Why Is Japan Keeping Enough Weapons-Grade Plutonium To Produce 50 Nuclear Weapons

An anti-nuclear protest in Hiroshima on Aug. 6, 2007 — the anniversary of the atomic bombing of the city by the United States in 1945. (Photo/Xinhua)

Japan's Plutonium Problem -- Shannon Tiezzi, The Diplomat

Japan’s stockpile of plutonium is causing concerns regionally and globally.

According to the Japan Times, both Japanese and U.S. government sources have confirmed that the Obama administration wants Japan to return over 300 kg of plutonium that was given to Japan “for research purposes” during the Cold War. It’s estimated that the plutonium could be used to make between 40 and 50 nuclear weapons. The plutonium is currently kept at the Japan Atomic Energy Agency’s fast critical assembly.

Japan’s government initially was reluctant to return the plutonium, saying it was needed for research on fast reactors. Now, however, sources say Tokyo has agreed to the request. The U.S. and Japan are expected to reveal a formal deal at next month’s nuclear security summit in the Netherlands.

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More News On Concerns Over Japan`s Stockpile Of Weapons Grade Plutonium

Return arms-grade plutonium: U.S. -- Japan Times/Kyodo
China ‘extremely concerned’ over Japan’s plutonium stash -- Japan Daily Press
China wants Japan to remain nuke-free -- Business Standard
China concerned at Japan holding weapons-grade plutonium -- Reuters
China questions Japan over weapons-grade plutonium -- Global Times
Beijing calls on Tokyo to return plutonium to US -- China Daily
Tokyo plutonium stockpile cause for worry -- Global Times
China questions Japan on weapons grade plutonium -- Xinhuanet
Japan secretly developing nuclear weapons: Yazhou Zhoukan -- Want China Times

My Comment: The Chinese are deeply concerned .... and it is justified .... but I just wish the Chinese were also concerned with North Korea`s nuclear program .... and the dangers that it possesses.

China Will Not Meet Japan's Primie Minister After His War Shrine Visit

Japan's Prime Minister Shinzo Abe (2nd L) is led by a Shinto priest as he visits Yasukuni shrine in Tokyo December 26, 2013. Credit: Reuters/Toru Hanai

Chinese Refuse To Meet Japan’s Premier After His War Shrine Visit -- New York Times

BEIJING — China’s Foreign Ministry said Monday that Chinese leaders, angered over a visit last week by Prime Minister Shinzo Abe of Japan to a contentious war shrine in Tokyo, would not meet with Mr. Abe.

A Foreign Ministry spokesman, Qin Gang, said at a regularly scheduled news conference in Beijing that Mr. Abe’s visit to the Yasukuni Shrine, which houses the remains of some convicted war criminals from the World War II era, was tantamount to honoring “fascists” and “the Nazis of Asia.” Mr. Qin’s statements were the strongest public remarks made by China against Mr. Abe.

Mr. Abe has been asking for high-level talks with China to discuss points of tension in East Asia. In recent years, the China-Japan relationship has worsened because of disputes over territory in the East China Sea. Most recently, Japan and other countries expressed surprise and anger over China’s efforts to expand its flight identification zone in the region.

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More News On China's Refusal To Meet Japan's Primie Minister After His War Shrine Visit

China says Abe not welcome after war shrine visit -- Washington Post/AP
China says Japan PM 'shuts door' on talks with war shrine visit -- Reuters
Japan PM Abe 'not welcome' by Chinese people, says Beijing -- AFP
China Says It Will Shun Abe After Shrine Visit -- Wall Street Journal
Chinese ambassador to Japan blasts Abe's shrine visit -- Xinhuanet
No dialogue with Abe after shrine visit: FM -- Global Times/Xinhua

China Denounces Japanese New Military And Defense Strategy

Members of Japan's Self-Defence Forces' infantry unit take part in the military's review during the annual troop review ceremony at Asaka Base in Asaka, near Tokyo October 27, 2013. Credit: Reuters/Issei Kato

China Voices 'Strong Concerns' Over Japan's Military Spending -- Reuters

(Reuters) - China's Defense Ministry called Japan's plans to raise its military spending for the first time in 10 years deeply worrying for Asia and the world, saying on Saturday that it strongly opposes its neighbor's policy.

Japan said earlier this week it will lift military spending by 2.6 percent over five years, buying early-warning planes, beach-assault vehicles and troop-carrying aircraft.

It was seen as the clearest sign since Prime Minister Shinzo Abe took office a year ago that he wants to raise Japan's military profile to meet what he says is a threat from China's rapid military buildup and recent actions to back its claims to Japanese-held islands in the East China Sea.

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More News On China Denouncing Japan's New Military And Defense Strategy

China Slams Japan Defense Spending Plan -- Defense News/AFP
China's military lashes out at Japan's new defence plan -- CTV News/AP
China criticizes Japan's military plans to purchase drones, submarines -- UPI
China angry at Japan for increase in military spending -- Global Post
China denounces Japanese military strategy -- BBC
Chinese military reacts angrily to Japan swelling defence force -- The Guardian
China slams Japan defence spending plan -- Space War/AFP
China outraged as Japan revamps defense plan -- RT
China irate over Japan's plan to beef up defense spending -- Al Jazeera

Why a Pacific War Is Possible

Why a Pacific War Is Possible: The Dangerous Hatred Between China and Japan -- Michael Crowley, Time

Memories of massacres, sex slaves and millions dead

From the long-distance perspective of an American, Asia looks like one of the world’s most peaceful places. And it is — for the moment. But when Vice President Joe Biden arrived in Tokyo on Monday, he stepped into what has suddenly become a dangerous diplomatic crisis between China and Japan. On the surface, it’s a dull dispute over a string of uninhabited Pacific islands. Underneath, as I realized on a recent visit to China, it’s a story reaching back some 75 years that involves war, brutality, rape and historical reckoning. And now threatens to drag in the U.S.

The immediate cause of the crisis is Beijing’s recent declaration of an air-defense zone over the disputed islands, a string of rocks about 200 miles southeast of China’s coast, not far from Taiwan. No one will ever vacation on the islands, but there’s a good incentive to claim them, given that they sit in an area of the Pacific that may contain enough oil to fuel China for 45 years.

Far more than a story about energy, however, this is a story about national pride and historical grievance. The showdown over the islands — whose very name the two countries disagree about: China calls them the Diaoyu and Japan the Senkaku — touches one of the most sensitive nerves in Chinese culture: the Japanese occupation of China from 1937 to ’45.

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My Comment: Michael Crowley's summary on the history of Chinese - Japanese relations is spot on .... and one that can (unfortunately) quickly and easily morph into a shooting war that will involve the U.S..

China 'Threatens' Japan To Stop Saying That They Are A Threat

China To Japan: Stop Citing Us As A Threat -- Voice of America/Reuters

BEIJING — China told Japan on Monday to stop targeting it as a threat and used it as an excuse to boost its military strength.

“If Japan must see China as an opponent, then it is after the wrong target and calculates it all wrong. There will be no future for Japan. We hope the Japanese side can seriously reflect on history, face up to the reality, think about the future, and adopt a peaceful development path, instead of frequently using China as an excuse to achieve its hidden agenda,” Foreign Ministry spokesman Qin Gang said during a news conference in Beijing.

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More News On China 'Threatening' Japan To Tone Down Their Rhetoric On China Being A Security Threat

China warns Japan against continually citing them as a ‘security threat’ -- JDP
China urges Japan to reign in provocative comments -- Global Times/Xinhaunet
China urges Japan to stop building up tensions -- CCTV
Continuous provocations a losing battle for Tokyo -- Global Times

My Comment: There is still hope .... the foreign ministers of Japan, China shook hands for the 1st time yesterday. On a side note .... the above video is an examination/documentary on the growing tensions between China and Japan.

China Marks The Anniversary Of Japan's Attack 82 years Ago

Paramilitary officers hoist the national flag during a ceremony marking the 82nd anniversary of the Mukden incident, in Shenyang, Liaoning province. Photo: Reuters

Japanese Attack Remembered, 82 Years Later -- South China Post

Mukden incident commemorated in Shenyang in sombre ceremony free of last year's violence

China yesterday marked the 82nd anniversary of the Japanese attack that led to the second world war occupation, amid lingering tensions between Beijing and Tokyo over territorial disputes.

Air defence sirens sounded for three minutes in Shenyang , the capital of Liaoning province in the northeast, where the Japanese army began its assault. Cars on nine roads and 18 streets came to a halt, and drivers blew their horns. Thirteen other cities in the province also sounded sirens to mark the anniversary of the attack known as the Mukden incident.

Japanese soldiers blew up dynamite at a railway in Mukden, now called Shenyang, in 1931. The Japanese then blamed the act on the Chinese, using the explosion as a pretext to take control of northeastern China.

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More News On China Marking The Anniversary Of Japan's Attack 82 Years Ago

China marks anniversary of Japanese occupation -- FOX News/AFP
Sirens across China mark Japanese invasion -- China Daily/Xinhua
People across China commemorate "Mukden Incident" -- CCTV
Mukden Anniversary Boosts Anti-Japanese Mood in China -- Radio Free Asia
China museum unveils Japan forced labour 'evidence' on anniversary -- Global Post/AFP
China media: Japan anniversary -- BBC
Backgrounder: Japanese imperialism in China from 1931-1945 -- CCTV

Leaders Of China And Japan Meet Briefly At The G20

China, Japan Leaders Xi And Abe Meet At G20 -- BBC

The Chinese and Japanese leaders have shaken hands and spoken to each other in an unexpected meeting on the sidelines of the G20 summit.

China's Xi Jinping and Japan's Shinzo Abe have not met since they took power in March 2013 and December 2012 respectively.

Ties between the two sides have been severely strained by a territorial dispute.

Both sides claim islands in the East China Sea.

The islands, known as Senkaku in Japan and Diaoyu in China, are controlled by Japan.

But China was angered last year when the Japanese government bought three of the islands from their private Japanese owner.

Since then, Chinese government vessels have been sailing in and out of what Japan says are its territorial waters around the islands, prompting fears of an accidental clash or escalation.

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More News On The Leaders Of China And Japan Meeting Briefly At The G20

Leaders of China, Japan hold ‘brief talk’ at G20 summit; first contact since islands flare-up -- Washington Post/AP
China, Japanese Leaders Chat Briefly at G-20 -- Wall Street Journal
Leaders of China, Japan hold 'brief talk' at Group of 20 meeting in first contact amid tension -- FOX News/AP
Japan's Abe shakes hands with China's Xi at G20 -- Reuters
Japan PM urges reset in ties at first meet with China's Xi -- FOX News/AFP
Japanese PM urges reset in China ties at first meet with Xi Jinping -- Times of India/AFP
Japan’s Abe Tells China’s Xi Diplomatic Ties Should Be Repaired -- Bloomberg
Abe to Xi: Let's Improve China-Japan Relations -- Voice of America

My Comment: The Chinese are not impressed with the Japanese desire to have talks. In fact .... it looks like nothing has changed at all .... China Coast Guard ships intrude into Japan's territorial waters.

At Least They Shook Hands - At The G20 Japan PM Abe Shakes Hands With China's Xi

China's President Xi Jinping (left) and Japan's Prime Minister Shinzo Abe. Photo: Reuters

Japan PM Abe Shakes Hands With China's Xi At G20 -- Reuters

(Reuters) - Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe and Chinese President Xi Jinping shook hands and exchanged words politely on Thursday on the sidelines of a G20 summit meeting, a Japanese official said, in an unexpected show of cordiality amid strained ties.

Ties between the world's second- and third-largest economies have been strained for months because of a row over tiny islands in the East China Sea known as the Senkaku in Japan and the Diaoyu in China.

There are also disputes over the countries' bitter wartime past.

Abe is keen to improve ties and has called for dialogue with China, though he has rejected any conditions on talks. China has shown no inclination to respond to the overtures.

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My Comment: They may shake hands ... but China's Xi has made it very clear that he has zero interest to meet Japan's Abe over their territory disputes.

The Growing Rift Between China And Japan

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A Dangerous Rift Between China And Japan -- Ian Buruma, Wall Street Journal

As the U.S. urges restraint, Asia's two great powers play politics with the past and court a crisis.

When Prime Minister Kakuei Tanaka visited Beijing in 1972 to restore Japan's relations with China, a country that had been devastated by Japanese military aggression in the 1930s and '40s, his host Mao Zedong allowed himself a moment of levity. Responding to Tanaka's apology for what Japan had done during the war, Mao answered that there was absolutely no need to apologize. After all, he said, without the Japanese invasion, the Communist revolution would never have succeeded.

Secure in his nationalist credentials, as the leader who unified China, Mao could afford this little joke, which also happened to be the truth. Such a remark would be unimaginable for any of the technocrats who rule China today. Maoism can no longer justify the Communist Party's monopoly on power, since few Chinese believe in any kind of Communism. Nationalism is now the dominant ideology, and the rulers have to prove their mettle, especially toward Japan. This need is particularly acute when a new leader takes power. The latest party boss, Xi Jinping, needs to show people, not least the military brass, that he is in charge.

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My Comment: Animosities between both countries on their borders goes back centuries. Their long history has been one of violence, war, exploitation, occupation, genocide, and immense suffering. It does not take much to stoke these tensions, and with a border dispute now in play .... stoking by both sides is now the rule for both governments.

Border Tensions Continue Between China And Japan

China Officially Labels Senkakus A ‘Core Interest’ -- Japan Times

BEIJING – The Chinese Foreign Ministry announced for the first time Friday that China regards the Senkaku Islands a “core interest.”

“The Diaoyu Islands are about sovereignty and territorial integrity. Of Course, it’s China’s core interest,” ministry spokeswoman Hua Chunying said at a press conference, using China’s name for the Japanese-administered isles in the East China Sea. Taiwan claims the isles as the Tiaoyutai.

China usually uses core interest when addressing such hot potato issues as Taiwan, Tibet and the Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region. Now Beijing has clarified that it also pertains to the Senkakus.

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More News On Growing Border Tensions Between China And Japan

Chinese ships make fresh foray into Japanese waters -- Japan Times
Japan to Strengthen Maritime Security -- Wall Street Journal
Japan-China Defense Officials to Meet Amid Island Tensions -- Bloomberg Businessweek
China calls Japan-U.S. island drill "provocative" -- Reuters
China says Japan activists' trip to disputed islands "illegal" -- Reuters
China, Japan argue over islands, shrine -- Deutsche Welle
China cancels top finance meet amid tensions: Japan -- AFP
Japan, China defense officials eye maritime hotline -- Japan Times

Japan Threatens Force If China Attempts To Land On Disputed Islands

A Chinese marine surveillance ship Haijian (center) cruises next to Japanese coast guard ships in the East China Sea, near islands known as the Senkakus in Japan and the Diaoyus in China. Radio Free Europe

Japan PM Abe Warns China Of Force Over Islands Landing -- BBC

Japan would respond with force if any attempt is made to land on disputed islands, PM Shinzo Abe has warned.

His comments came as eight Chinese government ships sailed near East China Sea islands that both nations claim.

A flotilla of 10 fishing boats carrying Japanese activists was also reported to be in the area, as well as the Japanese coastguard.

Mr Abe was speaking in parliament hours after dozens of lawmakers visited a controversial war-linked shrine.

A total of 168 lawmakers paid their respects at the Yasukuni Shrine, which commemorates Japan's war dead, including war criminals, in a move likely to anger regional neighbours who say the shrine is a reminder of Japan's military past.

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More News On Growing Chinese - Japanese Tensions Over Their Maritime Border

Tensions between Japan and China deepen after flotilla of activists sails close to disputed islands and politicians visit war shrine -- Daily Mail Japan threatens China over disputed islands landings -- France24/AFP Japan Pledges Strong Response To Chinese Landings On Disputed Islands -- RTT Japan vows force if Chinese land on disputed islands -- Global Post/AFP Japan Vows 'Force' If China Lands On Disputed Islands -- Radio Free Europe Chinese and Japanese ships cluster around disputed islands -- CNN Japan-China tension over East China Sea islands reignites -- Euronews China Sends Surveillance Ships Near Disputed Islands -- Voice of America Chinese vessels drive out Japanese boats from disputed islands -- Economic Times Abe Vows to Protect Isles as Shrine Visits Hurt Japan-China Ties -- Bloomberg Businessweek Japan shrine visits, isles dispute stir East Asia tensions -- Reuters Japan summons China envoy over disputed isles -- Al Jazeera My Comment: Japan has just given the Chinese a signal on what is their "red line" for a military confrontation.

China Warns Japan Against Scrambling It's Fighter jets

China Calls On Japan To Reduce Jet Scrambles -- Reuters

(Reuters) - China called on Japan on Thursday to stop sending jets up against Chinese aircraft after Japan said it had scrambled its fighters twice as often in the past year amid a territorial dispute.

The number of scrambles against Chinese planes nearly doubled to 306 in the year that ended in March. That accounted for the increase in the overall number from 425 to 567, the highest level in 22 years, Japan's Defence Ministry said.

China and Japan have been involved in an increasingly acrimonious stand-off over a group of uninhabited islands in the East China Sea, called the Senkaku in Japan and Diaoyu in China.

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More News On Chinese Warnings Against Japan To Limit Their Fighter Jet Scrambles

China angered by Japan's increased jet scrambles -- AP
Japan scrambled record number of jets against Chinese aircraft this fiscal year -- Japan Daily Press
2012 saw record 306 Japan fighter scrambles against Chinese aircraft -- Japan Times
Number of Japan jets scrambled against China planes doubles -- Reuters
Japan Sharply Increased Scrambling Jets Against Chinese Planes -- Wall Street Journal

My Comment: Here is an easy prediction .... these "scrambles" will continue to increase in the next year.

Chinese Military Warns Japan

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Stop Encroaching Our Territory: Chinese Military Warns Japan -- Economic Times

BEIJING: Chinese military today asked Japan to "stop activities" around the contested islands in the East China Sea, warning that Beijing has the "capability and determination" to safeguard its territorial sovereignty.

Asserting that the disputed islands, which China calls Diaoyu and Japan refers as Senkakus, are inherent territories, Chinese Defence Ministry spokesman Yang Yujun told reporters that "what is important now is for Japan to stop activities that undermine China's territorial sovereignty and take actions to ensure the issue resolved".

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More News On The Border Disputes Between China And Japan

China accuses Japan of ‘making trouble’ over Senkaku Islands -- Japan Times
China urges Japan to stop encroaching sovereignty -- China Daily/Xinhua
China accusing Japan of ‘making trouble’ over Senkaku Islands -- Japan Daily Press
China urges Japan to stop violating its sovereignty -- Global Times/Xinhua
Japan Coast Guard reports Chinese ships in Senkaku waters -- Japan Daily Press
Chinese ships patrolling near Diaoyu Islands -- China Daily
Fishing in Troubled Waters -- Wall Street Journal

My Comment: The more that China threatens it's neighbors .... the more that we will start reading stories like this one.

Could China And Japan Accidently End Up At War?

Why Japan And China Could Accidentally End Up At War -- Alicia P.Q. Wittmeyer, Foreign Policy

The Chinese government on Tuesday continued to deny that a Chinese frigate locked its radar on a Japanese destroyer earlier this year. The denial comes a day after Tokyo-based Kyodo News quoted unnamed "senior Chinese military officials" admitting for the first time that it happened -- but only by accident, they said.

It's worth noting, especially in light of Beijing's official denial, that we don't know who these Chinese officials are, or why they're speaking up now. But the report, if true, is disturbing precisely because the alleged standoff happened accidentally. According to the officials, the radar lock was an unplanned, "emergency decision" taken by the commander of the frigate -- one that did not include communication with fleet command or navy headquarters. This line in particular from Kyodo's report does not inspire confidence:

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My Comment: Past wars have started over less.

Is China Seeking A 'Cool-Off' In It's Dispute With Japan Over Islands?

A combination photo of Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe (left) and new Chinese Premier Li Keqiang (Reuters)

Under Xi, China Seeks To Cool Row With Japan Over Islands -- Reuters

(Reuters) - In a break from months of saber rattling, China under new President Xi Jinping appears to be moderating its approach to a potentially explosive territorial dispute with Japan and taking measures to prevent accidental conflict.

Ahead of Xi's appointment last Thursday, General Liu Yuan, a senior People's Liberation Army (PLA) officer close to the new leader, warned of the danger of war with Japan in a series of conciliatory commentaries and public remarks at odds with earlier bellicose rhetoric from military hawks.

In addition, maritime experts believe Beijing's announcement a week ago that it would unify its armada of paramilitary maritime agencies under a single command will tighten control over these forces on the frontline of China's efforts to enforce claims over disputed islands in the East China Sea.

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My Comment: I do not see any evidence that China wants to cool-off in it's territorial dispute with Japan .... especially when I am reading stories like this one.