Topic
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.
Successor to Yoshihide Suga needs to be reasonable in Tokyo’s relations with Beijing for the sake of regional stability and a smooth post-pandemic recovery.
- Chinese president makes remarks in visit to command office for East China Sea, says they must crack down on criminal activities and safeguard maritime economy
- This comes after Chinese coastguard had several run-ins in South China Sea with neighbouring countries
Japan’s PM Fumio Kishida did not push China’s Xi Jinping “very hard” over issues such as the Fukushima-linked food ban and Taiwan, an analyst says.
The drill on Tokunoshima island capped an 11-day series of exercises nationwide dubbed 05JX meant to show the readiness of ground, sea and air forces to defend Japan’s territory and infrastructure.
The move helps the US force to operate more efficiently in the island environments of the Indo-Pacific and to better respond to Chinese aggression.
Japan and the Philippines have been seeking to boost trilateral defence ties with the US over China’s construction of islands with military infrastructure in nearby waters.
It comes two weeks after a similar confrontation over the uninhabited island chain in the East China Sea.
The foreign ministry says a CP-140 reconnaissance plane undermined national security during a flight over the East China Sea, lodges ‘stern representations’ with Canada.
China had previously placed a buoy in the same area of Japan’s exclusive economic area in 2018, according to a Japanese foreign ministry official.
Beijing released the ‘standard map’ last week, ahead of two key gatherings.
The Qushan and the Haimen head to distant waters with the power to board and inspect vessels.
The drill focuses on transporting wounded soldiers from ‘medium- to long-distance islands’ using helicopters and drones, addressing weak link in China’s logistics support capabilities.
Tamaki paid his respects at the graves of travellers who came to China hundreds of years ago when Okinawa was part of the Ryukyu Kingdom.
Okinawan governor Denny Tamaki – who has long opposed US military bases in his prefecture – is expected to visit China from Monday.
20-minute call comes as tensions rise over East China Sea disputes, Tokyo’s links with US-led West on issues like Taiwan and Beijing’s Moscow ties.
In an updated policy, Prime Minister Fumio Kishida’s government warns that China’s rise has rapidly changed the military balance in the Indo-Pacific region.
China set up no-fly and no-sail zones in the East China Sea before the launch on Sunday, given the possibility of falling debris. Tokyo had urged Beijing to ensure the safety of Japanese vessels operating nearby.
Coastguard said a Ground Self-Defence Force UH-60JA Black Hawk helicopter disappeared from radar on a mission north of Miyako island on Thursday.
Yoshimasa Hayashi met Chinese Premier Li Qiang, top diplomat Wang Yi and Foreign Minister Qin Gang but no breakthroughs on major contentious issues, say analysts.
Japanese detainee and Taiwan on the agenda as foreign ministers of the two countries meet in Beijing.
Wang Yi urges Tokyo to eradicate interference in relations between the two countries.
The proposal to set up a trilateral framework was put forward by Tokyo, an aide to the Philippine president’s security adviser said, to boost deterrence against Beijing and prepare for a potential crisis over Taiwan.
Prime Minister Fumio Kishida declined to meet Kong Xuanyou before his departure last month, citing a ‘schedule conflict’.
Yoshimasa Hayashi said issues to be discussed include a territorial spat in the East China Sea and increasing Chinese and Russian military presence around Japanese waters.
The Philippines is a ‘perfect ally’ for Japan as it plays an important geopolitical role in the South China Sea, analysts say.
The unnamed woman claimed that a company run by her relative had bought Yanaha Island, a popular fishing and camping site.
Japan’s deepening unease about the dangers in its neighbourhood has prompted a fresh push to build a bulwark of other partners, including the G7 countries he visited last week.
In August, Chinese missiles fell near Yonaguni island – which is 110km from Taiwan – after PLA units conducted exercises following then-US House Speaker Nancy Pelosi’s visit to Taipei.
