Reuters: Clinton warns against coercion in South China Sea dispute

[visionary]

http://english.kyodonews.jp/news/2012/09/183993.html

2 Chinese ships enter Japan's territorial waters near Senkakus

TOKYO, Sept. 24, Kyodo

Two Chinese surveillance vessels entered Japan's territorial waters near the disputed Senkaku Islands early Monday morning, the Japan Coast Guard said.

The Japanese government set up a countermeasures team at the prime minister's office following the intrusion by the Haijian 66 and Haijian 46, government officials said.

Bilateral ties have soured particularly in the wake of Japan's nationalization earlier this month of the Senkakus in the East China Sea, which are claimed by China, leading to the cancellation of ceremonial events that had been slated for Thursday in Beijing to mark the 40th anniversary of the normalization of ties between the two countries.

http://www.aljazeera.com/news/asia-pacific/2012/09/20129240337351926.html

Chinese ships deployed near disputed islands

Two Chinese marine surveillance ships have entered what Japan considers to be its territorial waters near disputed islands in the East China Sea, the Japanese Coast Guard says.

China's Xinhua news agency confirmed that two civilian surveillance ships were undertaking a "rights defence" patrol in waters near the disputed islands on Monday. The news agency cited the State Oceanic Administration, which controls the ships.

As of 7:00am local time (22:00 GMT on Sunday), two Chinese maritime surveillance ships were spotted in waters off Kubashima and Uotsurijima, the Japanese Coast Guard said.

Sino-Japanese relations deteriorated sharply after Japan bought the islands, called Senkaku in Japan and Diaoyu in China, sparking anti-Japan protests in cities across China.

"In recent days, Japan has constantly provoked incidents concerning the Diaoyu islands issue, gravely violating China's territorial sovereignty," China's Xinhua news agency said.

The ship patrols were intended to exercise China's "administrative jurisdiction" over the islands, it said.

"Following the relevant laws of the People's Republic of China, [the ships] again carried out a regular rights defence patrol in our territorial waters around the Diaoyu islands."

The Japanese Coast Guard ordered the Chinese ships to move out of the area, but received no response, an official said.

[visionary]

And things just got messier.

http://www.reuters.com/article/2012/09/24/us-china-japan-idUSBRE88N01M20120924

Japan protests as Chinese ships enter disputed waters

Four Chinese ships briefly entered what Japan considers its territorial waters near disputed islands in the East China Sea on Monday, prompting an official protest from Tokyo and renewed diplomatic efforts to cool tensions between the rivals.

In a move that could further complicate the territorial row that is threatening relations between Asia's biggest economies, a group of fishermen from Taiwan -- which also claims the rocky isles -- said as many as 100 boats escorted by 10 Taiwan Coast Guard vessels were headed for the area.

China's Xinhua news agency said in the morning that two civilian surveillance ships were undertaking a "rights defense" patrol near the islands, citing the State Oceanic Administration, which controls the ships. Two fishery patrol vessels were also detected inside waters claimed by Japan.

Japan lodged an official protest.

By afternoon, all four Chinese vessels had moved further away, the Japanese Coast Guard said.

The arrival of Taiwan vessels in the area could complicate the potentially fraught game of cat-and-mouse being played near the islands, where mainland China has launched an effort to assert sovereignty by sending government ships into the disputed waters.

Taiwan television showed boats bound for the islands leaving Suao port in heavy rain, sporting banners and large Taiwan flags. News reports said bad weather could delay their arrival, expected overnight on Monday.

The Taiwan fishing group said their boats would sail around the islands to reassert their right to fish there and did not rule out trying to land on the rocky isles.

Taiwan Defense Minister Kao Hua-chu told parliament that the military was ready for any contingency, but did not elaborate.

Taiwan has traditionally had friendly ties with Japan, but the two countries have long squabbled over fishing rights in the area. Beijing deems Taiwan to be an illegitimate breakaway province, and the two sides both argue they have inherited China's historic sovereignty over the islands, which are near rich fishing grounds and potentially huge oil and gas reserves.

[visionary]

http://www.reuters.com/article/2012/09/25/us-china-japan-taiwan-idUSBRE88O02C20120925

Japan fires water cannon to turn away Taiwan boats

Japanese Coast Guard vessels fired water cannon to turn away about 40 Taiwan fishing boats and eight Taiwan Coast Guard vessels from waters Japan considers its own on Tuesday in the latest twist to a row between Tokyo and Beijing.

Japan protested to Taiwan, a day after it lodged a complaint with China over what it said was a similar intrusion by Chinese boats.

Sino-Japanese relations deteriorated sharply this month after Japan bought disputed East China Sea islands, called Senkaku in Japan and Diaoyu in China, from their private owner, sparking anti-Japan protests across China.

Taiwan has friendly ties with Japan, but the two sides have long squabbled over fishing rights in the area. China and Taiwan both argue they have inherited China's historic sovereignty over the islands.

Japanese Chief Cabinet Secretary Osamu Fujimura said the coast guard used water cannon and other measures to get the Taiwan ships to change course.

All the Taiwan fishing boats and coast guard ships had since left territorial waters, the Japanese Coast Guard said.

Japanese public broadcaster NHK showed footage of a Japanese Coast Guard ship shooting water at a Taiwan fishing boat, while a Taiwan patrol vessel blasted water at the Coast Guard ship in reply.

Um....

http://www.reuters.com/article/2012/09/25/us-china-japan-violations-idUSBRE88O07020120925

China tells Japan it will not tolerate violations of sovereignty

China will not tolerate any violations of its sovereignty, Vice Foreign Minister Zhang Zhijun told his Japanese counterpart on Tuesday as the two met in a bid to ease tensions over a territorial dispute.

"China will never tolerate any unilateral actions by Japan that harm Chinese territorial sovereignty," Zhang told Japanese Vice Foreign Minister Chikao Kawai in Beijing, according to a statement posted on the Chinese Foreign Ministry's website.

"Japan must banish illusions, undertake searching reflection and use concrete actions to amend its errors, returning to the consensus and understandings reached between our two countries' leaders," Zhang said.

Zhang called the Japanese government's purchase of the islands "a grave trampling on historical facts and international jurisprudence".

[visionary]

http://ajw.asahi.com/article/behind_news/politics/AJ201209260067

INSIDE LOOK: Japan tried but failed to avert disaster in China dispute

The central government underestimated China's likely reaction to its Sept. 11 decision to purchase three disputed islands in the East China Sea and saw relations plummet despite a careful reckoning of the possible consequences.

Japanese officials drew up several dozens of scenarios for China's response, based on how Beijing handled a fishing boat collision with Japan Coast Guard vessels off the Senkaku Islands in 2010. China bore international criticism for penalties it imposed then, and Japan's government banked on a weak response from its Asian rival this time.

In an in-depth investigation, The Asahi Shimbun spoke to some of the central players in the diplomatic disaster.

Among the revelations: that the government felt it would be easier to act before China's impending leadership shakeup, and later to repair ties when Beijing's new leaders took power; and that Japan's government drew up—but shelved—possible plans to build on the islands.

On May 18, Noda summoned high-ranking government officials to an unpublicized meeting at the prime minister's office. He told them to prepare to purchase the islands from the private citizen who, under Japanese law, was the legal owner.

"Defending territory is fundamentally a government duty," Noda told them. "My government will fulfill the task, with a sense of responsibility."

Noda had been under pressure to decide what to do since April 16, when Tokyo Governor Shintaro Ishihara declared, in a speech in Washington, that the Tokyo metropolitan government intended to buy the islands.

However, Noda has instructed Defense Minister Satoshi Morimoto not to dispatch Self-Defense Force ships. "Just keep monitoring it, in the conventional way," he said.

Japan seems aware of the risk of escalation.

In talks with Luo Zhaohui, his Beijing counterpart, Shinsuke Sugiyama, head of the Asian and Oceanian Affairs Bureau of the Japanese Foreign Ministry said: "Japan and China will be in a serious situation if they cross the red line."

That red line means a situation that may require the use of force.

"This situation will last for a fairly long period," said one Japanese government official involved in the purchase decision. "Neither Japan nor China can change its stance. We must prepare ourselves for that."

https://twitter.com/mpoppel

REU: CHINESE FOREIGN MINISTER YANG JIECHI TELLS UN JAPAN 'STOLE' DISPUTED ISLANDS FROM CHINA

9:57 PM

Kyodo: Chinese FM says China has "territorial sovereignty" over Diaoyu Islands

10:21 PM

Kyodo: Japan "can in no way change the historical facts" on islands dispute: China FM at U.N.

10:21 PM

Kyodo: China urges Japan to "take concrete actions to correct its mistakes"

10:22 PM

[visionary]

Uh oh. Maybe not the best idea right now....

http://www.reuters.com/article/2012/10/04/us-japan-china-islands-idUSBRE89307E20121004

Island plans by Tokyo's nationalist governor may stoke fresh China tensions

Tokyo Governor Shintaro Ishihara, a fiery nationalist whose failed bid to buy a group of disputed islands ignited a crisis with China, is pushing ahead with a plan to build structures there to hammer home Japan's claim, officials involved told Reuters.

Although such a move is not imminent, it would be certain to strain Japan's already shaky relations with China and could prompt a rebuke from the Obama administration, which has urged both sides to ease tensions by setting aside the dispute.

Ishihara's gambit appears aimed at forcing a new showdown in the island dispute with China. It is based on the view that Japan's main opposition -- the conservative Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) -- is likely to take power in an election in the coming months and that it would be receptive to his hard-line policies, two officials close to Ishihara said.

Akiko Santo, a member of the House of Councillors from the LDP, said Ishihara would try to win support from a new government to use about $19 million he has raised from contributors to build some basic infrastructure on the islands.

[visionary]

http://www.reuters.com/article/2012/10/05/us-autos-china-japan-idUSBRE89404720121005

Toyota China sales tumble as islands row hits Japan Inc

Toyota Motor Corp's (7203.T) China sales fell about 40 percent in September from the year before, while those of rivals such as Hyundai and BMW jumped, underscoring how badly Japanese brands have been hit by a territorial row between the two countries.

Showroom traffic and sales have plunged at Japanese car makers since violent protests and calls for boycotts of Japanese products broke out across China in mid-September over the Japanese government's purchase of a group of disputed islands in the East China Sea from their private owner.

A prolonged sales hit of this scale could threaten profit forecasts at Toyota, Nissan Motor Co (7201.T) and others as China, the world's biggest car market, makes up a bigger portion of their global sales.

Toyota sold about 50,000 cars in China in September, a senior company executive told Reuters on Friday, speaking on condition of anonymity. That would be down from about 86,000 in September 2011 but better than the figure reported earlier by Japan's Yomiuri newspaper, which said sales halved from the 75,000 sold in August.

[sjinhan]

I will make a comment here... China isnt the only one out there claiming islands left and right.. Japan is doing their own share of land (err sea) grabbing out there...

Doubt this will ever get settled especially with percieved potential for oil and gas discoveries that can be had in these disputed waters...

[ixcuincle]

It's being disputed between Japan, China, and Taiwan...all because of the oil that's there. Plus China is still bitter over Japan's harsh occupation in the 30's. It doesn't help that Japan continues to revise history, to this day, regarding their occupation of the Pacific and atrocities which repeatedly happened under their watch.

[visionary]

http://www.aljazeera.com/indepth/features/2012/10/20121091256237377.html?utm_content=tweets&utm_campaign=Trial3&utm_source=SocialFlow&utm_term=twitter&utm_medium=ExperimentMasterAccount

Taiwan sails into South China sea dispute

For those who reduce the dispute over the five islets in the East China Sea to a bilateral spat between a rising China and a declining Japan, last month's water-cannon battle between the Japan Coast Guard and a huge fleet of Taiwanese fishing boats and patrol vessels came as a surprise.

Three parties are now involved in the dispute over the islands called “Senkaku” by the Japanese, “Diaoyu” in mainland China, and “Diaoyutai” in Taiwan, which makes any possible resolution of the territorial ownership question all that more difficult.

Compared to the Asian giants of the People's Republic of China and Japan, the Republic of China - Taiwan - is a much smaller player. But it is also the one geographically closest to the contested zone.

“The Republic of China is a peace-loving nation,” declared Taiwanese President Ma Ying-Jeou last month, “but our government will spare no effort to defend our national sovereignty and to safeguard the security of our fishermen.”

[FanboyOf91]

The Super Soaker War!

[DjTj]

http://www.aljazeera.com/indepth/features/2012/10/20121091256237377.html?utm_content=tweets&utm_campaign=Trial3&utm_source=SocialFlow&utm_term=twitter&utm_medium=ExperimentMasterAccount

http://www.aljazeera.com/mritems/Images/2012/9/25//201292552717950734_20.jpg

There is video of this: