Thanks to a decision by Japan and the U.S. to perform a joint military drill in California, USA whereby the objective is to defend a small island, both countries have managed to alarm China, who calls the whole thing 'provocative' - and not in a good way.
The drill will take place on June 10-26, 2013, with the Japanese Ground Self-Defense Force and the Maritime SDF (self-defense force) and the U.S. Marine Corps.
One would have to be an idiot to suggest this is not mere saber-rattling, as a means to show China that the two countries are serious in concept at defending Japan's claim to a chain of islands that China believes to be theirs--what China calls Diaoyu and Japan calls Senkaku--a miserable lump of dirt that each wants.
China would really like it so that it can be closer to the islands of Japan to possible spy on Japan and U.S. forces stationed there, while Japan wants the undeveloped island to keep China farther away from Japan proper.
China's Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Hua Chunying says that foreign pressure will not sway it from defending its territorial sovereignty in the East China Sea.
"For any related provocative actions, the Chinese government will maintain a resolute response," says Hua.
On April 23, 2013, patrol boats from China and the U.S. ran at each other to scare the other.
According to reports, China had eight patrol boats surround the islands, claiming it was merely responding to the illegal entry of Japanese boats in its waters. The eight boats represent the largest such response by China since last September after Japan decided to poke the panda bear with a stick by nationalizing the islands.
Will a war between Japan and China happen? Mike Rogers over at Marketing Japan seems to think it likely. And to be sure, as an ally of Japan, the U.S. will get involved, and to be honest, there will be no winner. There never really is. Just a whole lot of victims.
While one would hope that cooler heads will prevail, when it comes to nationalism, all three of the countries involved are historically hotheads.
Provocative, indeed. Now let's see what happens as we draw closer to the war games on the island off California.
Cheers
Andrew Joseph
The drill will take place on June 10-26, 2013, with the Japanese Ground Self-Defense Force and the Maritime SDF (self-defense force) and the U.S. Marine Corps.
One would have to be an idiot to suggest this is not mere saber-rattling, as a means to show China that the two countries are serious in concept at defending Japan's claim to a chain of islands that China believes to be theirs--what China calls Diaoyu and Japan calls Senkaku--a miserable lump of dirt that each wants.
China would really like it so that it can be closer to the islands of Japan to possible spy on Japan and U.S. forces stationed there, while Japan wants the undeveloped island to keep China farther away from Japan proper.
China's Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Hua Chunying says that foreign pressure will not sway it from defending its territorial sovereignty in the East China Sea.
"For any related provocative actions, the Chinese government will maintain a resolute response," says Hua.
On April 23, 2013, patrol boats from China and the U.S. ran at each other to scare the other.
According to reports, China had eight patrol boats surround the islands, claiming it was merely responding to the illegal entry of Japanese boats in its waters. The eight boats represent the largest such response by China since last September after Japan decided to poke the panda bear with a stick by nationalizing the islands.
Will a war between Japan and China happen? Mike Rogers over at Marketing Japan seems to think it likely. And to be sure, as an ally of Japan, the U.S. will get involved, and to be honest, there will be no winner. There never really is. Just a whole lot of victims.
While one would hope that cooler heads will prevail, when it comes to nationalism, all three of the countries involved are historically hotheads.
Provocative, indeed. Now let's see what happens as we draw closer to the war games on the island off California.
Cheers
Andrew Joseph
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