Japan opens radar station close to disputed East China Sea islands

'"This radar station is going to irritate China,” said Nozomu Yoshitomi, a professor at Nihon University and a retired major general in the Self Defence Force."

No doubt with a smirk on his face, as if 'mission accomplished' is also on his mind.

In any case, it only took them a day after complaining about Russia building on the Kuriles. Well done!

Something has to be done to keep the Chinese in check. Seems as if this is only the first step ...

Notwithstanding but wasn't it the Chinese who said what right does another country have to say in its affairs? Recall the country only wanted to do trade as most of the world but what did China do, it started conquering and making islands out of rocks, then claiming all of the China Sea including what is known as international waters as Chinese waters, and in some cases land too. China started this problem not Japan, US, SKorea, Phillipines, Taiwan, all these countries wanted was peaceful trade and business..Instead China stole US and Japan's technology.

Too little but hopefully not too late.

RE: "China has ordered its armed forces to end all paid outside work within the next three years as part of a push to make the world's largest standing military more professional and battle ready" and by reading this one has to wonder why Japan leaders took so long to push forward and not put Japan in harms way. I repeat, China started this military buildup not its neighbors. So much for we come in peace when they use words as military battle ready...So who is goading whom?

The has been in the works for a couple of years now, and there were some local residents who were against this move, but in the long run probably better for Japan as a whole.

Oh Yonaguni is a part of Okinawa,meaning there is a serious need for a military presence in the prefecture.

"a move bound to rile Beijing."

Yes how dare they build something on their own undisputed island..lol. The First Island Chain links jut got a little tougher to get through unnoticed. China has much bigger problems to deal with than a radar station, with US-PI having agreed to US forces rotation through PI bases.

These measures are imperative; a way of showing Chiba that it's greedy, imperialistic attitude will not be ignored or accepted without a fierce backlash. Nothing must be allowed which would make it easy for China to expand into sensitive areas already controlled by other countries. In America, Trump is spouting on about the cost of America's policing of the world including the South China Sea area, and would hope that certain nations woukd contribute more. This desire does make sense. Hiw do the Japanese feel about that?

Japan should have done this decades ago. It seems to have to put SDF bases on most of islands to show its flag.

Good fences make good neighbours and right now China is a lousy neighbour.

Buttttttttt guys, the pacifism principles in Article 9 are the only thing we need to protect Japan from China!

I say with deep sarcasm.

Yubaru is right Yonaguni is part of the Okinawa Prefecture which is part of Japan. There is no dispute it is part of Japan and the radar is part of a common sense defense. Article #9 says we defend Japan, so how does this not defend Japan?