Is Russia entering the fray in the East China Sea?
Emanuele Scimia says a naval move that seemed to be coordinated with China, near the contested Senkaku/Diaoyu islands, has raised concern about where Russia stands
In the lead-up to Russian President Vladimir Putin’s scheduled visit to China later this month, doubts are swirling in Tokyo (and Washington) over a possible coordinated initiative between Beijing and Moscow in the East China Sea.
The Japanese navy detected three Russian naval vessels sailing close to the disputed Senkaku/Diaoyu Islands on June 8. Russia’s presence coincided with a transit by a Chinese frigate around the contested outcrops, which are administered by Japan but claimed by China and Taiwan.
Japan protests as China’s PLA Navy sails near disputed Diaoyu Islands in East China Sea
Possible naval connections between Russia and China in the East China Sea are now under scrutiny in Tokyo. Until now, Russia has taken a neutral stance on Sino-Japanese territorial spats while welcoming China’s position that South China Sea disputes should not be internationalised.
China’s aversion to international tribunals is shared by the Kremlin. Beijing challenges the Philippines’ case before the UN Permanent Court of Arbitration in The Hague – which is set to deliver a ruling on Chinese territorial claims over vast swathes of the South China Sea. Moscow, meanwhile, rejects Western and Ukrainian claims that its annexation of the Crimean peninsula in 2014 was in breach of international law.
In the South and East China seas, an anti-China coalition is taking shape
The Kremlin has the means to alter the strategic balance in the region. Russian sales of specific weapons to Beijing could undermine the strength of the US and its allies in the East and South China seas – in this sense, Russia’s interventions in Ukraine and Syria set a precedent.