By air and sea: China’s two-pronged strategy to grind Japan down over disputed islands
- Beijing has ramped up its military and coastguard presence near the islands to get Tokyo to acquiesce on the disputed chain, analysts say
- While it is taking a toll on the Japanese self-defence forces, the tactic comes with a major risk
The idea is to wear down Japanese resistance over time – and so far it seems to be having an effect.
The islands, called the Senkakus in Japan and the Diaoyus in China, are under Japanese administration but claimed by both countries.
As part of its strategy, China has sent military planes on hundreds of sorties in the area, forcing the Japan Self-Defence Forces to scramble its fighter jets from dawn till dusk.
Observers say the tactic is draining Japanese personnel and equipment but also comes at a big risk for China.
The Japan Coast Guard started reporting the number of Chinese coastguard vessels near the Senkakus in 2008. For a while there were only a few cases – no more than 10 a year. But in September 2012, the Japanese government nationalised the islands and by the end of the year China had sent 428 coastguard vessels into the contiguous waters of the islands, a zone between 12 and 24 nautical miles from the Senkakus.