Japan says Chinese military activity in East China Sea escalating

Perhaps the increase in the number of 'emergency scrambles' is due to an increased nervousness on the part of the Japanese military, sorry collective self defence forces.

In any case, instead of spreading FUD about China in Japan, wouldn't it be a good idea to go over to Beijing and have a word with them?

Isn't that the kind of thing that politicos and diplomats are supposed to do?

Trump will fix China

Trump will fix China

...and Hillary will fix Japan.

China doesn't recognize the EEZ as standard international law. They think they are above the law. That's the whole point. I hope the decision on July 12th affirms international law. Even if the Chinese don't recognize it, the rest of the world will and the Philippines will get the diplomatic and, hopefully, military support that it needs.

This is why the USA needs a trump presidency. I think trump is Japan's new best friend. Too bad the media in Japan is controlled by Chinese and South Korean sympathizers.

China doesn't recognize the EEZ as standard international law.

Matt Hartwell Just stop making things up. The internet was not created so that you could invent stories on news sites and type them out. Okay? The internet is there for you to get your facts straight first. Okay? China fully recognizes the law of EEZ and itself claims an EEZ. The problem is quite simply that China, Vietnam, the Philippines, Indonesia and others have over-lapping claims on islands, and the EEZs they claim over-lap as a result, not only with China, but with other the countries as well. For example, the Philippines and Indonesia resolved some counter-claims at the ICJ, and thankfully, the decision of the court was accepted.

Tokyo’s pledge to support countries in Southeast Asia, including the Philippines and Vietnam, that oppose China’s territorial claims in the South China Sea.

So the Japanese government just supports anyone who opposes China's claims? If so, that is extremely childish. Anyone who thinks China is the sole problem here really ought to take a hard look at that statement. Nobody but nobody has a rock solid case for any of these island claims we are talking about. If the ICJ is truly impartial, ruling in favor of virtually any claimant is possible, and it would probably be Vietnam with the most ludicrous claims among all of them.

But I already know who its going to go among native English speakers and the Japanese. The decision will be purely based on the concept of "Hey, we don't like China so they get nothing.". Which of course is bringing us to the brink of war. Stiff arming China with reckless abandon is not going to work anymore. That idea is so 1990's. Our governments better get with the program and start playing China fair. If they don't, and China takes a mile rather than an inch, it will be a matter of course. That is what happens when you just flat out screw people over and it comes to blows. Ask the former East Germans. They will tell you.

I'm tired of reading about Japanese whining, moping and crying about China. They keep hiding behind the American flag. It's time the Japanese roll up their sleeves and deal with China on their own.

The leaders, lawmakers and sometimes PM make visits to Yasukuni Shrine. They ought to visit reality and provide their own security it the East China Sea. Okinawa would love to see the USA gone. Besides, the USA doesn't administer those Sekakus.

Can I ask you a question. Are the Spratly islands within 200 nautical miles of mainland China ? Because maybe its my native English eyes, but I don't see it. I see a whole bunch of islands adjacent to Malaysia, Brunei and the Philippines, in some cases, virtually on the doorstep, but there a longggggg way from Hainan province. In terms of islands in East Asia, I would think that's a matter for Taiwan and Japan to sort out.

More fearmongering? Yesterday it was North Korea and today China. I thought the US was the only nation famous for making mountains out of molehills and using the media to slander and making leaders they hate into feared monsters and thus fearmongering or should I say warmongering in disquise?

More fear mongering?

You'd think there was an election coming

If it is sovereign airspace, shoot them down.

Are the Spratly islands within 200 nautical miles of mainland China ? Because maybe its my native English eyes, but I don't see it.

Since you are British, may I ask, are the Falkland Islands within 200NM of UK? If anything, common sense tells us they belong to Argentina, and Diaoyutai belongs to Taiwan, definitely not Japan.

But common sense doesn't always prevail.

"It appears that Chinese activity is escalating at sea and in the air,” Admiral Katsutoshi Kawano"

This is a no brainer. Why is Tokyo surprised? China is merely playing the Game of Go to Pivot Back to Diaoyu/Senkaku. Japan should stick to East China Sea instead of becoming a US puppet to stir up more trouble in the South China Sea. Chinese escalating activities is directly related to Japanese naval presence in Subic Bay, PH and also visits to Cam Ranh Bay, VN. Thanks to Abe's Collective Defense(Offence), Japan is less safe than before he pass this law!

Matt Hartwell, by your logic, the Falklands belong to Argentina rather than the U.K. Nope. That is not the way things work. And who do you choose between Vietnam and the Philippines with regard to the Spratly Islands? Their claims overlap and they are both just as far away, and China, not much further. And neither nation is "adjacent" as you claim. Have you native English eyes ever seen an actual map?

Wc626 You are indeed speaking of molehills, and you would know what mountains are if you had been living in Afghanistan since 2001, Iraq since 2003 or Syria since 2011.

@mataka "If it is sovereign airspace, shoot them down."

Obviously you are not sure if the 12 NM around Diaoyu/Senkaku is sovereign or not, so why act like a cowboy and be so trigger happy?.

Since US only give Japan administrative rights, it is clear it is not sovereign space. Why waste thousands of dollars everytime the Chinese fly 'within 12 NM' just for sightseeing?

Ignoring the Chinese is far far better than trying to prove Japan's sovereignty over Diaoyu/Senkaku since it is clear it is in Japan's control only for administrative purpose only with zero evidence of sovereignty when the US hand them over to Japan.

Agree with Fre Okin.

Japan needs to butt out of South China Sea, which it has no business at all. All of Japan's stunts and moves there only agitate China further. It doesn't serve Japan's interest at all.

Same goes with India, by the way.

Japan needs to stop supporting China economically. Plenty of other worthy countries in SA to support.

@sf2k

Thanks for the laugh. Japan need China much much more than the Chinese need her. Massive Chinese tourism to Japan do Abe a big favor. Plus Japanese companies in China benefit Japan massively as well. No matter how you look at it, Japan Need China more than China need Japan, so it is better for Abe not to annoy China. Don't mess with the hand that feed you!

Japanese companies don't need to be in China

Japanese companies don't need to be in China

That so? Where are the Japanese companies going to produce their goods? Are they going to purposely exclude themselves from 20% of the world's population in terms of sales? How long do you think the J companies are going to last with the South Koreans crushing them with lower cost of production (in China) and enjoying a larger market (that includes China)?

Japanese companies don't need to be in China

No one has said they need to be.

They want to be in China.

It's obvious that PM Shinzo Abe is intentionally hyping this kindergarten level Chinese freedom of navigation copycats near Japanese waters.

This is very effective to make his plan to change Article 9 of the Peace Constitution successful .

Needless to say , Nipponjen should rest assured that China don't dare do anythin reckless anytime soon.

Uncle Sam's might is too clearly visible for Beijing to see and feel, what with the collosal 7th fleet now joined by the 6th fleet!

Besides , people just have to remember that China dared not do anythin close to sneezing when President Bill ordered the bombing of the Chinese Embassy in what was then Yugoslavia!

@Gaijindesu

if they don't want to be enabling China, of course

they can produce goods in countries with better human rights. Chinese tourists will still buy it, if the run on appliances is any indication. Especially what isn't available in China. Thus they don't have to undercut themselves. There was a story here in April but it expired. It talked about a run on various appliances including rice cookers. So it's already happening