https://www.scmp.com/rss/265887/feed The Diaoyu Islands are a group of uninhabited islands located roughly due east of mainland China, northeast of Taiwan, west of Okinawa Island, and north of the southwestern end of the Ryukyu Islands. They are currently controlled by Japan, which calls them Senkaku Islands. Both China and Taiwan claim sovereignty over the islands. en https://assets.i-scmp.com/static/img/icons/scmp-meta-1200x630.png https://www.scmp.com Julian Ryall Julian Ryall Japan’s quest for rare earth self-sufficiency and its drive to decouple from Chinese supply chains have prompted the government to consider building a dedicated deep-sea mining vessel to recover minerals from the Pacific Ocean floor. Local media reported that the ruling Liberal Democratic Party’s special committee on ocean development will soon present a draft proposal to the Takaichi administration, calling for unspecified project funding. While the initiative will face technological and... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3353665/japan-eyes-dedicated-ship-lead-deep-sea-rare-earths-race-cut-reliance-china?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3353665/japan-eyes-dedicated-ship-lead-deep-sea-rare-earths-race-cut-reliance-china?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 15 May 2026 05:59:13 +0000 Fan Hou,Haining Gao Fan Hou,Haining Gao – https://www.scmp.com/plus/economy/article/3353080/sino-japanese-relations?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/plus/economy/article/3353080/sino-japanese-relations?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 11 May 2026 02:23:28 +0000 Raissa Robles Raissa Robles The recently concluded Balikatan joint drills have marked a shift in the Philippines’ defence strategy alongside Japan, with Tokyo offering the transfer of warships to its Southeast Asian ally, while a top Filipino official for the first time voiced “serious concern” over islands claimed by Beijing and Tokyo. Philippine Defence Secretary Gilberto Teodoro Jnr on Wednesday said Manila now considered the uninhabited Diaoyu Islands, which Japan calls the Senkaku Islands, a security flashpoint in the... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3352942/philippines-shifts-defence-strategy-japan-eyes-wider-security-focus?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3352942/philippines-shifts-defence-strategy-japan-eyes-wider-security-focus?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 08 May 2026 12:25:52 +0000 Cao Jiaxuan Cao Jiaxuan Tensions in East Asia reached a fresh peak with a Japanese warship’s transit of the Taiwan Strait on a historically freighted date for China. According to the PLA Eastern Theatre Command, the Japanese destroyer JS Ikazuchi spent 14 hours navigating the sensitive waterway on Friday, the anniversary of the 1895 Treaty of Shimonoseki or Treaty of Maguan, an unequal treaty that forced the then-ruling Qing dynasty administration to cede Taiwan to Japanese colonial rule. In a commentary on Saturday,... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3350646/japans-treaty-day-taiwan-strait-warship-transit-new-flashpoint-china?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3350646/japans-treaty-day-taiwan-strait-warship-transit-new-flashpoint-china?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 19 Apr 2026 15:55:08 +0000 Orange Wang Orange Wang China has issued its first map pinpointing seabed chemical elements in the country’s eastern waters as Japan also races to tap undersea rare earth resources and deep-sea minerals. The Chinese Ministry of Natural Resources published the results of marine geological surveys over the past two decades for the seas, state broadcaster CCTV reported on Tuesday. The result was an atlas charting the location, concentration and distribution patterns of dozens of elements in seabed sediments, including... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3350168/next-frontier-china-maps-seabed-resources-japan-races-tap-rare-earths?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3350168/next-frontier-china-maps-seabed-resources-japan-races-tap-rare-earths?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 16 Apr 2026 01:00:10 +0000 Laura Zhou Laura Zhou China and Japan’s long-standing rivalry has deep historic roots, and relations between the two have taken a significant turn for the worse in recent months. This article, the third in a three-part series, looks at how US President Donald Trump, Taiwan and war in the Middle East factor into their relationship. Read the second part here. As Chinese President Xi Jinping is set to host regional leaders for the Apec summit later this year, observers are closely watching whether the summit could... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3347188/uncompromising-takaichis-meeting-trump-seen-key-china-japan-ties?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3347188/uncompromising-takaichis-meeting-trump-seen-key-china-japan-ties?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 19 Mar 2026 12:00:14 +0000 Laura Zhou Laura Zhou China has pledged to strengthen maritime law enforcement and bolster legal and institutional mechanisms to defend its claims in disputed waters. Outlined in Beijing’s latest five-year policy blueprint, the resolution reflects its effort to strengthen China’s position in increasingly contested waters. China’s 15th five-year plan, which covers the 2026-2030 period, also signals a push by policymakers to expand China’s influence in shaping global maritime governance and rule-making. Unlike the... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3345729/why-china-wants-stronger-policing-disputed-waters-under-new-5-year-plan?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3345729/why-china-wants-stronger-policing-disputed-waters-under-new-5-year-plan?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 06 Mar 2026 12:00:08 +0000 Vanessa Cai Vanessa Cai Japan has released the captain of a Chinese fishing boat that Tokyo says tried to flee an inspection while in its exclusive economic zone (EEZ). Japan’s fisheries agency said the captain was released before 8pm on Friday after China submitted documents guaranteeing payment of bail, Japanese broadcaster NHK reported on Saturday. The agency said the boat, the Qiong Dong Yu, was seized inside Japan’s EEZ off its southwestern Nagasaki prefecture on Thursday. It was ordered to stop for an inspection... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3343586/tokyo-releases-captain-chinese-fishing-boat-found-japanese-eez?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3343586/tokyo-releases-captain-chinese-fishing-boat-found-japanese-eez?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 14 Feb 2026 12:00:29 +0000 Vanessa Cai Vanessa Cai Beijing has urged Tokyo to protect its crew members’ rights after Japan said it had seized a Chinese fishing boat and arrested its captain. Japanese authorities said the incident occurred on Thursday inside Japan’s exclusive economic zone (EEZ) off its southwestern Nagasaki prefecture after the Chinese vessel allegedly tried to flee an inspection. Chinese foreign ministry spokesman Lin Jian said on Friday that the Chinese government had consistently required the country’s fishermen to operate... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3343525/beijing-and-tokyo-new-maritime-stand-after-japan-seizes-chinese-boat-holds-captain?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3343525/beijing-and-tokyo-new-maritime-stand-after-japan-seizes-chinese-boat-holds-captain?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 13 Feb 2026 12:05:18 +0000 Julian Ryall Julian Ryall A record share of the Japanese public now supports strengthening the country’s Self-Defence Forces, a new government survey shows, highlighting how sharply attitudes on national security have shifted amid Russia’s war in Ukraine, China’s expanding military activities and rising tensions on the Korean peninsula. Analysts said the shift reflects a growing sense that diplomacy and alliances alone may no longer be sufficient to guarantee Japan’s security. According to a Cabinet Office survey... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3341606/why-more-japanese-ever-support-strengthening-self-defence-forces?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3341606/why-more-japanese-ever-support-strengthening-self-defence-forces?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 29 Jan 2026 01:30:13 +0000 Fan Chen Fan Chen Beijing has hit back against concerns raised by foreign countries, including Japan, over its military drills around Taiwan, accusing critics of being “extremely hypocritical”. The foreign ministry said on Wednesday that Japan, Australia and European governments had turned “a deaf ear” to the efforts of “Taiwan independence” forces using military means, while ignoring external interference in Beijing’s internal affairs. Beijing carried out massive live-fire drills and blockade exercises around... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3338265/tokyo-expresses-concern-beijing-over-military-drills-around-taiwan-report?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3338265/tokyo-expresses-concern-beijing-over-military-drills-around-taiwan-report?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 31 Dec 2025 06:16:36 +0000 Haining Gao,Fan Hou Haining Gao,Fan Hou _ https://www.scmp.com/plus/article/3334990/chinas-volatile-japan-ties?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/plus/article/3334990/chinas-volatile-japan-ties?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 03 Dec 2025 03:15:58 +0000 Alcott Wei Alcott Wei Chinese and Japanese coastguard vessels have been involved in a stand-off near the disputed Diaoyu Islands in the East China Sea. The two sides gave conflicting accounts of Tuesday’s incident, with the Chinese coastguard saying it had driven a Japanese fishing boat away from the islands, which are known as the Senkaku Islands in Japan. Liu Dejun, a spokesman for the coastguard, said the Chinese vessels took “necessary control measures” and issued warnings to the boat. “The Diaoyu Islands and... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/military/article/3334866/chinese-and-japanese-coastguard-ships-fresh-confrontation-near-disputed-diaoyu-islands?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/military/article/3334866/chinese-and-japanese-coastguard-ships-fresh-confrontation-near-disputed-diaoyu-islands?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 02 Dec 2025 06:00:19 +0000 Amber Wang Amber Wang China and the United States have held their second round of maritime security talks this year to help manage risks between their militaries, according to the Chinese navy. The talks, held in Hawaii from Tuesday to Thursday, were “candid and constructive,” the PLA Navy said in a statement on Saturday. It said both sides exchanged views on the security situation, discussing cases of air and sea encounters and measures to improve operational safety. The meeting marked the latest effort by the... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/military/article/3333801/china-us-hold-candid-maritime-security-talks-amid-japan-south-china-sea-tensions?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/military/article/3333801/china-us-hold-candid-maritime-security-talks-amid-japan-south-china-sea-tensions?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 22 Nov 2025 12:08:42 +0000 Phoebe Zhang Phoebe Zhang For Gu Chuan and his wife, relocating from China to Japan appeared to be a logical choice. Last year, when China’s economy slowed and optimism about job prospects dimmed, the Beijing-based tech worker did not want his family to put all its eggs in one basket. The couple considered several options. Hong Kong was ruled out as too far from home, and so was the United States because of its myriad disputes with Beijing. They finally decided that Gu’s wife would go to Japan to study for an MBA and he... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3333712/chinese-invested-japan-public-sentiment-factor-watch-diplomatic-row?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3333712/chinese-invested-japan-public-sentiment-factor-watch-diplomatic-row?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 22 Nov 2025 03:00:16 +0000 Kolette Lim Kolette Lim Singapore’s Prime Minister Lawrence Wong has voiced hope that China and Japan can de-escalate tensions, following a row sparked by Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi’s comments on the Taiwan Strait. At the Bloomberg New Economy Forum on Wednesday, Wong said Singapore and fellow Southeast Asian states supported Tokyo stepping into a bigger role in the region, including on the security front, for greater stability. Takaichi earlier this month said Japan could deploy its military in the event... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3333451/singapore-pm-hopes-china-japan-find-ways-resolve-taiwan-strait-row?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3333451/singapore-pm-hopes-china-japan-find-ways-resolve-taiwan-strait-row?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 19 Nov 2025 14:45:32 +0000 Ralph Jennings Ralph Jennings The Japanese economy could lose about 1.49 trillion yen (US$9.59 billion) over the next year if travellers from mainland China continue to avoid Japan over a row that has derailed the growth in arrivals seen earlier this year, an economist at the Tokyo-based Nomura Research Institute has projected. Takahide Kiuchi, the institute’s executive economist, made the calculation after Beijing told Chinese citizens last week to refrain from travelling to Japan following comments about Taiwan by new... https://www.scmp.com/economy/china-economy/article/3333365/steep-drop-chinese-tourists-could-cost-japan-us959-billion-year-economist?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/economy/china-economy/article/3333365/steep-drop-chinese-tourists-could-cost-japan-us959-billion-year-economist?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 19 Nov 2025 06:17:41 +0000 Amber Wang Amber Wang Beijing could step up military and coastguard activities near Japan if tensions escalate further following Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi’s provocative remarks on Taiwan, according to analysts. “It cannot be ruled out that there will be new military activities near the Diaoyu Islands,” a government adviser said, referring to the disputed group of islands known as the Senkakus in Japan. The islands, located in the East China Sea, have long been a source of tension between the two... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/military/article/3333287/will-china-ramp-military-activity-near-japan-over-takaichis-comments?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/military/article/3333287/will-china-ramp-military-activity-near-japan-over-takaichis-comments?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 18 Nov 2025 14:00:11 +0000 Mia Nurmamat Mia Nurmamat Japan risked turning the entire country into a battlefield if it intervened militarily in the Taiwan Strait, an article published by Beijing’s military mouthpiece PLA Daily warned on Sunday, marking the latest escalation in a diplomatic clash sparked by comments from the Japanese leader. Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi told the Japanese parliament on November 7 that the use of force against Taiwan could be seen as a “survival-threatening situation”, a scenario that would allow Tokyo to deploy its... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3332970/pla-daily-warns-japan-path-no-return-if-its-military-intervenes-taiwan?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3332970/pla-daily-warns-japan-path-no-return-if-its-military-intervenes-taiwan?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 16 Nov 2025 07:13:39 +0000 Julian Ryall Julian Ryall A new diplomatic protest from Tokyo over suspected marine surveys by a Chinese vessel in contested waters has renewed focus on a long-standing unresolved issue: the lack of agreement between Japan and China on their maritime boundaries in the East China Sea. At the centre of the row is a clash of interpretations. While Japan insists the Chinese survey ship violated its exclusive economic zone (EEZ) by conducting underwater research without getting its prior consent, analysts point out that China... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3327807/where-japans-eez-tokyos-complaint-over-chinese-survey-ship-marks-unresolved-issue?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3327807/where-japans-eez-tokyos-complaint-over-chinese-survey-ship-marks-unresolved-issue?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 03 Oct 2025 09:52:54 +0000 Julian Ryall Julian Ryall Protests that disrupted a major Japan–US military exercise in Okinawa have drawn strong condemnation from the Japanese defence minister, conservative media and the public. The uproar reflects wider unease over mainland China’s growing military presence near Japan, with tensions over the disputed Diaoyu Islands and Taiwan fuelling fears of a regional conflict and divisions among the Japanese people over the US military presence in the country. Beijing sees Taiwan as part of China to be reunited... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3326392/protests-over-japan-us-military-drills-okinawa-expose-domestic-rifts?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3326392/protests-over-japan-us-military-drills-okinawa-expose-domestic-rifts?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 23 Sep 2025 00:00:09 +0000 Julian Ryall Julian Ryall Japan is set to deploy advanced drones to intercept unidentified aircraft and vessels in a move designed to reduce the burden on fighter pilots and modernise its military response protocols amid an increase in air and maritime incursions. Operational testing of the US-manufactured MQ-9B SeaGuardian drones for this purpose is expected to begin next year, according to a report by the Yomiuri newspaper, citing sources within the defence ministry. Analysts say Japan’s military is playing catch-up.... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3325621/japan-adopts-us-drones-counter-intrusions-ease-strain-air-force?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3325621/japan-adopts-us-drones-counter-intrusions-ease-strain-air-force?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 16 Sep 2025 00:00:16 +0000 Enoch Wong Enoch Wong China’s military mouthpiece has accused Japan of hollowing out its pacifist constitution and “embarking on the dangerous path of military expansion”. As Japan marked the 80th anniversary of its surrender in World War II on Friday, the PLA Daily warned in a commentary that “the spectre of militarism has never left the Japanese archipelago”, and that right-wing forces had “never abandoned the dream of becoming a military power”. It accused Tokyo of using American support to steadily roll back... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/military/article/3321994/wwii-anniversary-chinas-pla-says-japan-never-abandoned-dream-military-power?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/military/article/3321994/wwii-anniversary-chinas-pla-says-japan-never-abandoned-dream-military-power?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 15 Aug 2025 12:00:08 +0000 Julian Ryall Julian Ryall Tokyo has expressed “serious concerns” to Beijing after a Chinese fighter jet came close to a Japanese aircraft operating in international airspace over the East China Sea on two occasions this week, with analysts suggesting that a pattern is emerging of China being increasingly willing to challenge Japan at sea and in the air. According to Japan’s Defence Ministry, a Chinese JH-7 fighter-bomber flew within 70 metres of an Air Self-Defence Force YS-11EB electronic surveillance aircraft on... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3317863/chinese-fighter-jets-buzzing-japanese-aircraft-new-status-quo?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3317863/chinese-fighter-jets-buzzing-japanese-aircraft-new-status-quo?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 11 Jul 2025 08:27:42 +0000 Maria Siow Maria Siow The distant thunder of a missile launch from Hokkaido late last month was less a provocation than a statement of intent: marking a turning point, analysts say, in Japan’s approach to its own defence. On June 24, more than 300 members of the Japan Ground Self-Defence Force’s 1st Artillery Brigade gathered at a remote firing range for the country’s first-ever live missile test from home soil. It saw a Type-88 surface-to-ship missile being launched towards an unmanned vessel parked 40km (25 miles)... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3317014/why-japan-just-tested-missile-its-own-turf-first-time?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3317014/why-japan-just-tested-missile-its-own-turf-first-time?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 06 Jul 2025 00:00:19 +0000 Julian Ryall Julian Ryall China could test Japan’s resolve by flying drones near disputed islands in the East China Sea after Tokyo clarified that its military is authorised to shoot down such unmanned aircraft intruding into its airspace, according to analysts. In response to a written query from a lawmaker, the Japanese government affirmed at a cabinet meeting on June 27 that the Self-Defence Forces could take such an action even if foreign drones were not an immediate threat to the country’s security. Ryo... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3316841/japan-facing-higher-risk-drone-warfare-over-diaoyu-islands?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3316841/japan-facing-higher-risk-drone-warfare-over-diaoyu-islands?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 04 Jul 2025 00:00:17 +0000 Agence France-Presse Agence France-Presse Japan has spotted Chinese vessels sailing near disputed islets in the East China Sea for a record 216 consecutive days, according to Tokyo’s coastguard. The Tokyo-administered islets, known as the Diaoyu Islands in China and Senkakus in Japan, have long been a sore point between the neighbours. On Sunday, Japan said it observed four Chinese coastguard vessels sailing in the “contiguous” zone, referring to a 12-nautical-mile (22km) band that extends beyond Japan’s territorial waters. Last year,... https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/east-asia/article/3315444/japan-flags-216-days-chinese-intrusions-near-east-china-sea-islands?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/east-asia/article/3315444/japan-flags-216-days-chinese-intrusions-near-east-china-sea-islands?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 23 Jun 2025 04:29:48 +0000 Julian Ryall Julian Ryall A former Japanese military chief has warned that Beijing’s increasingly assertive moves around disputed islands in the East China Sea could be setting the stage for a Chinese landing operation. While analysts broadly agree that Beijing is seeking to expand control over the Diaoyu Islands, they differ on how close China might be to launching an outright takeover, with some warning of growing military preparations and others cautioning that a full-scale assault remains premature. In an interview... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3314805/china-preparing-seize-diaoyu-islands-japan-ex-army-chief-warns-absorption-plans?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3314805/china-preparing-seize-diaoyu-islands-japan-ex-army-chief-warns-absorption-plans?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 18 Jun 2025 00:00:13 +0000 Agence France-Presse,Associated Press Agence France-Presse,Associated Press An explosion injured four men at a Japanese facility for storing unexploded bombs at a US airbase in Okinawa on Monday, a fire official said, with their condition reportedly not critical. Japan Self-Defence Forces (SDF) members at the facility at Kadena Air Base were trying to wipe rust off items to reassess if they were bombs, Akira Kamiunten said. During that process, there was an explosion that injured four male SDF members who were rushed to hospital, he said. Jiji Press and other local... https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/east-asia/article/3313599/explosion-rocks-us-airbase-japans-okinawa-4-injured?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/east-asia/article/3313599/explosion-rocks-us-airbase-japans-okinawa-4-injured?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 09 Jun 2025 04:25:33 +0000 Julian Ryall Julian Ryall China has made a string of subtle yet telling overtures towards Japan in recent weeks – from removing controversial maritime buoys to easing a politically charged seafood import ban – in what observers see as a tactical recalibration rather than a true reset in bilateral ties. On Thursday, Japan’s government confirmed that China had dismantled the second of two oceanographic buoys it had installed without Tokyo’s consent within Japan’s exclusive economic zone near Okinawa. The following day, it... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3312521/chinas-overtures-pointed-signal-stabilise-ties-japan-analysts?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3312521/chinas-overtures-pointed-signal-stabilise-ties-japan-analysts?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 31 May 2025 02:00:18 +0000 Julian Ryall Julian Ryall Japan has lodged a protest with Beijing over the suspected construction of a new offshore platform in disputed waters of the East China Sea – a development that analysts say could signal China’s latest attempt to extend administrative control through incremental moves. The protest came after satellite imagery showed two large Chinese ships positioned roughly 345km northwest of Kume Island in Okinawa prefecture – an area where the countries’ exclusive economic zones (EEZs) overlap and remain... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3310535/chinas-moves-disputed-waters-spark-concerns-japan-about-incremental-control?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3310535/chinas-moves-disputed-waters-spark-concerns-japan-about-incremental-control?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 16 May 2025 00:00:14 +0000 Julian Ryall Julian Ryall The Japanese coastguard continues to experience a manpower shortage as its ability to safeguard the country’s sovereignty over disputed islands could be affected by the exit of hundreds of its staff. A total of 389 people voluntarily resigned from the coastguard in 2024, according to a report in the Yomiuri newspaper, bringing its staff strength down to 14,123 as of the end of the financial year on March 31. The personnel who left were six fewer compared with the same period a year earlier,... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3309802/why-japans-coastguard-has-recruitment-problem?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3309802/why-japans-coastguard-has-recruitment-problem?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 11 May 2025 01:30:24 +0000 Julian Ryall Julian Ryall Japanese people are increasingly fearful that war will break out in the Asia-Pacific region and that Japan will be dragged into the fighting, according to the results of a new survey, with rising tensions over disputed islands in the East China Sea adding to public anxiety. A public-opinion poll published by the Asahi newspaper on Thursday found that 62 per cent of Japanese respondents feared the nation would be caught up in a conflict in the coming years. That figure is a sharp increase from... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3309111/fear-factor-more-japanese-worry-war-likely-break-out-asia-survey-shows?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3309111/fear-factor-more-japanese-worry-war-likely-break-out-asia-survey-shows?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 06 May 2025 00:00:17 +0000 Kandy Wong Kandy Wong China and Japan have traded barbs after a plane allegedly piloted by extreme Japanese nationalists flew over a disputed island in the East China Sea – a long-running source of tension between the two countries. The Chinese coastguard said a routine patrol had spotted a Japanese civilian plane flying “illegally” over the airspace of an unnamed island in the Diaoyu chain, known as the Senkakus in Japan, on Saturday morning. It added that the aircraft left the area five minutes later, and the... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3309011/china-and-japans-diaoyu-islands-dispute-flares-again-over-intrusions?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3309011/china-and-japans-diaoyu-islands-dispute-flares-again-over-intrusions?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 04 May 2025 06:23:59 +0000 Last week’s sea trial of Japan’s upgraded electromagnetic rail gun is a milestone in the intensifying regional arms race aimed at countering hypersonic missiles from China, North Korea and Russia. The Japanese defence ministry released images of the gun this week showing a number of modifications to the prototype’s first experimental firing in October 2023. The next-generation weapon was also sighted earlier this month on board the JS Asuka in Yokosuka port before setting off for the sea... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/military/article/3307810/japan-hits-rail-gun-milestone-race-counter-chinas-hypersonic-development?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/military/article/3307810/japan-hits-rail-gun-milestone-race-counter-chinas-hypersonic-development?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 24 Apr 2025 12:10:22 +0000 China is preparing to take the next step in its campaign to challenge Japanese control of the disputed Diaoyu Islands by unilaterally declaring them to be jointly administered, a prominent maritime security expert has warned. Dr Toshi Yoshihara, a leading authority on China’s naval strategy and a former professor at the US Naval War College, told the right-leaning Sankei Shimbun newspaper that Beijing could also dispatch members of its maritime militia disguised as fishermen to land on the... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3307010/china-planning-declare-shared-control-diaoyu-islands-japan?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3307010/china-planning-declare-shared-control-diaoyu-islands-japan?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 18 Apr 2025 02:30:08 +0000 China said its coastguard expelled four Japanese fishing vessels from waters near the disputed Diaoyu Islands over the weekend, after Tokyo accused Beijing of escalating tensions in the East China Sea. According to coastguard spokesman Liu Dejun, the Chinese ships took “necessary control measures” and issued warnings to drive the Japanese boats away between March 21 and 24 after they entered what China considers to be its territorial waters. He did not elaborate on the specific actions taken... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/military/article/3303764/china-coastguard-drives-japanese-fishing-boats-escalating-island-dispute?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/military/article/3303764/china-coastguard-drives-japanese-fishing-boats-escalating-island-dispute?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 25 Mar 2025 07:00:07 +0000 Beijing has been accused of “two-faced diplomacy” after pledging greater dialogue and cooperation during high-level talks in Tokyo on Saturday, only for three Chinese coastguard vessels to enter waters around Japanese-controlled islands the next day, pursuing a Japanese fishing boat. Japan’s Foreign Minister Takeshi Iwaya had struck an optimistic tone following Saturday’s trilateral meeting with his Chinese and South Korean counterparts, describing the discussions as “a frank exchange of views”... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3303598/two-faced-diplomacy-china-pledges-peace-then-chases-japans-fishing-boat?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3303598/two-faced-diplomacy-china-pledges-peace-then-chases-japans-fishing-boat?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 25 Mar 2025 00:00:11 +0000 They came without warning, flying over waters near Japan last week: two Chinese drones, one a reconnaissance model and the other a sleek attack drone. For Tokyo, it was not just a test of its air defences but a preview of the future, analysts say, as Beijing seeks to normalise its military presence in the region while testing Japan’s response. Last Wednesday, two Chinese drones – a BZK-005 reconnaissance model and, for the first time, a Chengdu GJ-2 reconnaissance and attack drone – were tracked... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3300937/rattle-okinawa-chinese-drones-probe-japans-defences?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3300937/rattle-okinawa-chinese-drones-probe-japans-defences?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 04 Mar 2025 04:13:42 +0000 Japan’s national broadcaster NHK has been left red-faced again after AI-generated subtitles on a news programme identified disputed territories in the East China Sea as the Diaoyu Islands. Japan controls the uninhabited islets and refers to them as the Senkaku Islands, China claims them as the Diaoyu Islands. This disagreement has sparked a prolonged and contentious sovereignty dispute between the two nations. The slip-up occurred during an English-language news broadcast on Monday. NHK... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3298517/japans-nhk-ai-gaffe-reignites-diaoyu-islands-dispute-amid-chinese-coastguard-intrusion?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3298517/japans-nhk-ai-gaffe-reignites-diaoyu-islands-dispute-amid-chinese-coastguard-intrusion?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 13 Feb 2025 08:20:40 +0000 Chinese buoys discovered in waters claimed by Japan are being used to quietly chip away at the country’s sovereignty, according to a Japanese lawmaker, who has lambasted Tokyo’s muted response to what he calls China’s “salami-slicing tactics”. Jin Matsubara, an independent member of parliament and former chairman of the National Public Safety Commission, has demanded that Tokyo take a harder stance against the buoys, which have been detected close to the disputed Diaoyu Islands and near... https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/east-asia/article/3298145/salami-slicing-sea-chinese-buoys-test-japans-patience?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/east-asia/article/3298145/salami-slicing-sea-chinese-buoys-test-japans-patience?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 11 Feb 2025 02:30:08 +0000 With Donald Trump back in the White House, Japan wasted no time seeking reassurances from the United States regarding its security commitments in the East China Sea. But concerns linger over whether Washington would truly act if Beijing escalates its claims to the Diaoyu Islands. Tokyo’s Defence Minister Gen Nakatani confirmed in a call last week with newly appointed US Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth that the disputed islands – known in Japan as the Senkakus – are covered by Article 5 of the... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3297001/japan-weighs-trust-trump-us-says-defence-diaoyu-islands-rock-solid?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3297001/japan-weighs-trust-trump-us-says-defence-diaoyu-islands-rock-solid?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 03 Feb 2025 00:00:11 +0000 Eighty years after Japan’s surrender in World War II, the ghosts of history are once again haunting Tokyo. Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba, already under fire for his growing overtures to Beijing, faces mounting pressure from all sides over the statement he is expected to issue marking the anniversary. Conservatives within his ruling Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) are urging him to stay silent on August 15, the date Emperor Hirohito announced Japan’s surrender in 1945. Such a move, they argue,... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3296658/japans-pro-china-pm-faces-wwii-anniversary-dilemma-apologise-or-stay-silent?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3296658/japans-pro-china-pm-faces-wwii-anniversary-dilemma-apologise-or-stay-silent?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 29 Jan 2025 04:30:09 +0000 As United States Secretary of State Antony Blinken visited South Korea and Japan on his farewell tour of the region, North Korea fired a ballistic missile that landed in waters between the Korean peninsula and Japan. Secretary Blinken reaffirmed Washington’s unwavering commitment to defending South Korea, emphasising the importance of enhancing bilateral cooperation and strengthening trilateral collaboration with Japan. In August 2023, President Joe Biden hosted impeached South Korean president... https://www.scmp.com/opinion/asia-opinion/article/3293906/why-us-will-not-allow-nuclear-armed-south-korea?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/opinion/asia-opinion/article/3293906/why-us-will-not-allow-nuclear-armed-south-korea?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 11 Jan 2025 21:30:09 +0000 A fleet of Chinese navy vessels has conducted what Japanese military analysts believe was an exercise to impose a naval blockade between the main island of Okinawa and the most westerly islands of the prefecture, isolating them as part of Beijing’s plans to take control of Taiwan. Quoting multiple Japanese government sources, the Yomiuri newspaper reported on Wednesday that six Chinese ships – including a Jiangkai Class 1 frigate and three coastguard vessels – sailed around the southern tip of... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3293056/why-would-china-want-blockade-japanese-islands-recent-drill-raises-taiwan-spectre?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3293056/why-would-china-want-blockade-japanese-islands-recent-drill-raises-taiwan-spectre?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 02 Jan 2025 00:00:13 +0000 Chinese coastguard vessels have been identified operating in the contiguous zone just outside Japanese territorial waters around disputed islands in the East China Sea for a record 353 days this year, surpassing the 352 days they were present last year. Analysts suggest Beijing’s action is designed to undermine Tokyo’s sovereignty over the islands, which are claimed by the Chinese and referred to as the Diaoyu archipelago. Tokyo presently administers the uninhabited territories, known locally as... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3292785/chinese-ships-seen-near-diaoyu-islands-record-353-days-2024-outlast-japan?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3292785/chinese-ships-seen-near-diaoyu-islands-record-353-days-2024-outlast-japan?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 31 Dec 2024 01:30:17 +0000 A prominent US security analyst has called on president-elect Donald Trump to demonstrate the firm line he will take on China by resuming live-fire practice drills on disputed islands in the East China Sea, though some in Japan question if such a “provocative” move is the best way to reinforce sovereignty over the territory. Robert D. Eldridge, founder and president of The Eldridge Think Tank and a director of the Hawaii-based Global Risk Mitigation Foundation, pointed out that US air and naval... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3292195/will-firm-us-stance-diaoyu-islands-be-too-provocative-japan?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3292195/will-firm-us-stance-diaoyu-islands-be-too-provocative-japan?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 25 Dec 2024 00:00:26 +0000 If anything were due for a reset it would be the strained relations between China and Japan. Ties between the most powerful economies in Asia are rocky at best after a decade in which Tokyo drifted closer to Washington and built stronger ties with Taiwan. With the pending White House arrival of Donald Trump and his protectionist agenda, both Beijing and Tokyo will have motivation to improve relations. A first step to turning things around is to understand just what state they are in. The grim... https://www.scmp.com/opinion/comment/article/3290395/trump-good-reason-china-japan-thaw?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/opinion/comment/article/3290395/trump-good-reason-china-japan-thaw?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 11 Dec 2024 15:50:11 +0000 Long-standing territorial and political tensions appear to be fuelling the intense mutual dislike between the populations of Japan and China, with one observer tracing the “shift in attitude” among Chinese people to Xi Jinping coming to power in Beijing. The poor sentiments were highlighted in a poll published on Monday that found 89 per cent of Japanese respondents had a negative view of China, though this was down 3.2 percentage points from a similar survey conducted one year ago. The research... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3289211/political-rows-genuine-fear-stoke-japans-distrust-china-and-feelings-mutual?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3289211/political-rows-genuine-fear-stoke-japans-distrust-china-and-feelings-mutual?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 04 Dec 2024 01:30:17 +0000 China and Japan are experiencing the worst slide in public sentiment towards each other in two decades, with nearly 90 per cent of respondents harbouring a negative view of their neighbour, according to a new joint poll. The 20th Japan-China Joint Public Opinion Poll was released on Monday by Tokyo-based think tank The Genron NPO and Beijing-based China International Publishing Group, ahead of the annual Tokyo-Beijing Forum. In the survey, 87.7 per cent of Chinese respondents said they had a... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3289144/90-cent-people-china-and-japan-have-negative-views-each-other-poll-reveals?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3289144/90-cent-people-china-and-japan-have-negative-views-each-other-poll-reveals?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 03 Dec 2024 08:11:25 +0000