Japan and US to conduct major military exercise despite Beijing's objection
China had objected to military exercise off California testing forces' ability to retake island
Japan has vowed to go ahead next week with a major military exercise testing US and Japanese troops' ability to recapture a hypothetical remote island, despite a complaint through diplomatic channels from Beijing.
But it has taken on added significance given that President Xi Jinping will hold a two-day summit with President Barack Obama from today.
And while the US and Japanese Self-Defence Forces regularly conduct joint training exercises, the scenario for the two-week Dawn Blitz drills is likely to renew tensions over the sovereignty of the Japanese-controlled Senkaku Islands, which Beijing claims as its territory and knows as the Diaoyu Islands.
A spokesman for the Ministry of Defence in Tokyo declined to comment on the pressure that has been applied by Beijing, but confirmed: "We plan to start the exercises on June 10, and that has not changed." Some 250 troops from Japan's Western Army are taking part in the drill, on the Californian island of San Clemente, near the US Marine Corps' Camp Pendleton. Significantly, the Western Army is based in Kumamoto, in Kyushu prefecture, and its 15th Brigade is responsible for defending the Okinawa islands.
Japan's Ground Self-Defence units will also be supported by four GSDF helicopters and three other aircraft from the Maritime Self-Defence Force. The Japanese helicopter-destroyer Hyuga and guided missile destroyer Atago, as well as a transport ship, will also take part. About 1,000 Japanese personnel will be involved in the drills, which will also involve Canada and New Zealand.