China's fishing suspension near disputed islands in East China Sea ends

Honestly, these "fishing boats" should be closely watched by the JMSDF and USN. They are not just "fishing boats".

"China's armed fishing militia—officially called the People's Armed Forces Maritime Militia (PAFMM) by the U.S. Department of Defense—plays an instrumental role in Beijing's strategy to enforce its sovereignty claims in the South China Sea and East China Sea. PAFMM is a government-supported armed fishing force of unknown strength that resides under the direct command and control of the People's Liberation Army (PLA). It has existed for decades and augments Chinese Coast Guard (CCG) and PLA Navy (PLAN) operations in the region."

https://www.rand.org/blog/2020/04/a-short-history-of-chinas-fishing-militia-and-what.html#:~:text=China's%20armed%20fishing%20militia%E2%80%94officially,Sea%20and%20East%20China%20Sea.

Yep, very like a swarm of locusts, vacuuming up anything they can eat, regardless of sustainability.

It has existed for decades and augments Chinese Coast Guard (CCG) and PLA Navy (PLAN) operations in the region."

We may not like it, but you have to admit it's a smart move.

These "fishing" boats are nothing but heavily armed Communist China naval vessels in another paint scheme, launching incursions into Japanese sovereign territory. Purely to threaten Japan. Disgraceful that they think they can do this.

Japan should immediately lodge an official protest to the Chinese ambassador, and threaten big sanctions on Chinese goods.

Meanwhile just outside the Galápagos Islands....

https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2020/aug/06/chinese-fleet-fishing-galapagos-islands-environment

garymalmgrenToday  05:11 pm JST

It has existed for decades and augments Chinese Coast Guard (CCG) and PLA Navy (PLAN) operations in the region."

We may not like it, but you have to admit it's a smart move.

I don't think it's a matter of like or dislike. Certainly it was a smart move while the rest of the world had no idea and believed these were simply commercial fishing boats. But now that everyone knows, the world sees just how underhanded China can be.

China really knows how to make friends everywhere.

"Ecuador is on alert due to the appearance of a huge fleet of mostly Chinese-flagged fishing vessels off its Galapagos Islands.

Patrols are trying to ensure the fleet - which is made up of around 260 vessels - does not enter the delicate eco-system from international waters.

"President Lenin Moreno has said that Ecuador will hold consultations with other Latin American countries with a coastline on the Pacific - Colombia, Peru, Chile, Panama and Costa Rica - in order to form a joint regional position concerning the "threat".

https://www.bbc.com/news/world-latin-america-53562439

@London

disgusting & disgraceful !

The Chinese Have absolutely no respect for the environment. Their fishing vessels roam the planet scooping up everything & anything in its path.

In August 2016, a group of China Coast Guard vessels and as many as 300 fishing boats crowded around the islands. Some of them repeatedly intruded into Japanese waters despite a flurry of high-level protests from Tokyo.

China Coast Guard is a de facto military unit.

At that time the fishery boats poached coral, devastated local sea environment. However, Japanese authorities didn't make a specific response (for fear of damaging the bilateral ties?). If they remain silent this time, China interprets it as being consensual.

Bring is a few squadrons of A10s just in case...

All I can say is that when Xi came aboard this trouble really picked up. Sink them is what I said a long time ago. Japan has every right to defend itself in the name of "scientific research purposes" only that is....

There was no problem with the Senkakus, no one had heard of them, at least they were never in the news until Shintaro Ishihara tried to buy them as governor of Tokyo. That is when the status quo ended. That forced the government at the time to buy them to prevent them coming under control of the ultranationalist Ishihara.

Until that time China, Japan and Taiwan claimed the islands, but they could not be bothered to cause trouble arguing about them. They preferred to agree to disagree.

Whatever Our Fearless Leader does, don’t take your eyes off Taiwan. This is what Uncle Xi wants. Senkaku is only a diversion.

All of a sudden the Okinawans are happy with the American bases. How ironic.

china's fishing fleet come with armed forces along with them, so that they can bully their way after entering sovereign waters of other countries. china is cancer, all of it.

I wonder if maps are available in China for cheap price.

Wherever you are maps indicate Senkaku Islands as part of Japan.

Why those Chinese have hard time to understand the principle of respecting territorial rules?

As long as they could get away with it, they played the Sun Tzu long game, feigned being in sympatico with the purveyors of One World, while they milked the West’s doomed openness to the nth degree; mouthed the platitudes a self deluding West wanted to hear while all along it was about moving pieces on a chessboard till eventually facts on the ground and in the South China Sea betrayed their true intentions.

gaijintravellerToday  07:05 pm JST

There was no problem with the Senkakus, no one had heard of them, at least they were never in the news until Shintaro Ishihara tried to buy them as governor of Tokyo. That is when the status quo ended. That forced the government at the time to buy them to prevent them coming under control of the ultranationalist Ishihara.

Until that time China, Japan and Taiwan claimed the islands, but they could not be bothered to cause trouble arguing about them. They preferred to agree to disagree.

When The J-Govt purchased 2 of the 5 islands from their Japanese Owners, China chose to turn this into a dispute by claiming that Japan "nationalized" the two islands. The fact is that tje J-Govt already owned one of those islands from before. In fact they let the U.S. use it as a live bombing exercise site.

The J-Govt attempted to maintain the status-quo. China chose to turn it into a dispute as they have always wanted the Senkakus (and ultimately all of Okinawa) to break the First Island Chain.

JapanJim: "All of a sudden the Okinawans are happy with the American bases. How ironic."

My thoughts exactly, except the 'irony' part -- it's entirely expected. Not one single peep from them all of a sudden.

Yep, very like a swarm of locusts, vacuuming up anything they can eat, regardless of sustainability.

not condoning what China is doing but when you have Japan who is the largest consumer of fish in the world, consuming 70% of world's exports, not to mention its own lackluster efforts on marine conservation, you've got to find that statement hypocritical

What do the Japanese do when China calls their bluff?

Nothing...

Is China starving to send army boats to supports fishing?

Or is it for $$$$ making?

Or maybe just for bullying fun?

If somebody is sailing into your seas without permission that is completely unacceptable. They could be stealing fish or conducting reconnaissance operations prior to their secretly planned full on invasion. If I were in charge I would require my defense force to issue a warning via radio, semaphore etc to any foreign vessel in my sea area. The first warning would require the invader to immediately turn around and to begin sailing out of my sea area. It would include the requirement to have turned around within five minutes or I would sink them. After those five minutes had passed, if the invading ship hadn't turned around and was sailing out of my area I would have no hesitation in sinking it.

Why so many Chinese visit Japan ? Because they love it. Why so many Japanese hate China ?

Many Japanese visit China because they love the culture. Why do so many Chinese hate Japanese? Because the CCP tells them to whenever there is a diplomatic disagreement. Boycott Japanese products and destroy Japanese businesses in China. People should be more balanced when making claims.

They must have quite the assembly line for those ships.

Can't wait for a shot across the bow in the Galapagos, too. Let's hope Ecuador (and the UN's mediocre 'world heritage site' whiners) have some backbone. Oh, and better beg for a US carrier, too.

Maybe it's time for Japan to create its own maritime militia "fishing" fleet to protect Japan's EEZ. Come up with a standardized, fast, highly seaworthy, hardened fishing boat design that can withstand small arms fire and ramming, train the crews and arm them. Then go fish. Some could be paid to get between Japan's EEZ and the Chinese fishing fleet.

Bring is a few squadrons of A10s just in case...

That is actually a good idea. A warning shot from one of those would get them moving fast!

I'm laughing at the thought of a dozen Warthogs flying low over a group of Chinese fishing boats while one fires a warning burst from it's gatling gun across the bow of the lead ship.

Some foreign affairs experts, however, said tensions are unlikely to intensify in the waters this year, given that Chinese local authorities have instructed fishermen not to sail within 30 nautical miles, or 56 kilometres, of the uninhabited islets.

How utterly naïve these so-called experts are. Since when does China respect its own rules?

Tokyo has asked Beijing to implement steps to prevent Chinese fishing boats from entering the Japanese territorial waters through a diplomatic channel, sources close to bilateral relations said.

The government never learns does it? The only thing bullies respond to is force. Send in the navy.

Showing weakness will just encourage the CCP even more.