China plans to keep ships near Senkakus for 365 days in 2024

@TaiwanIsNotChina

You could do much more than a tent - before WWII, there was a bonito plant there, run by a Japanese man who employed a few dozen Okinawans and mainlanders. They were the first, and so far only, humans ever to live on that chain of islands. China has never controlled them; neither has Taiwan. They're Okinawan first and foremost.

Xi Jinping has called for bolstering Beijing's sovereignty claim over the islets

And just recently Xi had claimed it was the 'West' that was being hegemonic, China already has huge amount of territory within its sovereign boreders, and has its Belt and Road, yet still wants more. China under Xi and this iteration of the CCP reminds of the line from The poem "The Second Coming": "What rough beast, its hour come at last...." Thanks Nixon, Kissinger, and the west's corporate establishment for helping create the beast, and continuing to feed it as it gobbles up more.

Not too late to put a guy with a tent on the islands, I suppose, but that window is closing.

A Japanese naval base should have been built on the Senkakus two decades ago. The Coast Guard is going to need to step up patrols - and fire upon any Chinese vessel which gets close to Japanese land.

Taiwan belongs to China. So does Diaoyu.

Complete fiction made up by Communist mouthpieces.

Let's just see what happens if Communist China try to take either the Sankakus or Taiwan. We all know Chinese personnel - in any field - haven't got any courage.

My own theory is Xi went a little 'hot-under-the-collar,' and started threatening everyone who floats a boat in the region's seas and oceans, when the Italian government told him earlier this month - in a formal communique, not less - that it will opt out of renewing its BRI agreement with China. Italian diplomats reportedly said that Italy’s decision to leave the BRI was final and not just a reflection of overall frustration over failed expectations and unmet promises by China, but was also based on Italian desires to defend democratic values and human rights. Both of which China has demonstrated a marked disregard for, entirely.

That's just gotta hurt!

Taiwan belongs to China. So does Diaoyu.

Possession is 9/10ths of the law so no, in fact they do not.

Put a radar system, an anti-ship missile system and an air defense system on those islands. Run up the Hinomaru, and tell the Chinese to (insert expletive here).

Just China's peaceful rise.

deanzaZZRToday 07:25 am JST

That would make things extra spicy for the new year.

and fire upon any Chinese vessel which gets close to Japanese land.

Japan rules out negotiations so here we are today.

What kind of negotiations would there be? China ignores UNCLOS and unilaterally started drilling around the islands.

Isn't China big enough already? The Chinese have already stolen islands in the South China Sea. It's about time the rest of the world stood up to these vile bullies.

We will never let even 1 millimeter of our territory taken

No-one is trying to take China's territory. China is trying to steal everyone else's.

Just like it does with tech, IP, money, data, etc. etc.

Xi Jinping has called for bolstering Beijing's sovereignty claim over the islets

If you have a sovereignty claim, take it to an UNCLOS tribunal. Oh, that's right - China doesn't respect international law so it'd be utterly pointless.

I'd actually be fine with Japan allowing an UNCLOS tribunal to settle this matter once and for all... on the pre-condition that China dismantles all its illegal islands and military installations, stops invading other countries' waters, stops ramming ships/firing water cannons/shining military grade lasers at crews etc., and settles the South China Sea Code-of-Conduct matter in good faith with the other parties.

But that would never happen, so here we are.

Way past time for another Cultural Revolution in the despicable PRC - their 'culture' of upsetting the neighbours is extremely tiresome, no fewer than 11 separate international disputes ongoing, this is one dreadful and depressing country, lead by some of the most deceitful and hypocritical politicians in the world.

I just wish the ordinary Chinese people would rise up and call 'Time' on this toxic repressive regime.

That's an interesting take you have there Mr. Fighto. Would you care to elaborate?

Ever seen the "Book of Chinese War Heroes"? Thinnest and shortest book in the library.

Chinese are completely unproven and untested in conflict. When push comes to shove, they'll run. Which is why Japan and her allies should not be afraid to use force if necessary.

SkepticalToday 08:06 am JST

My own theory is Xi went a little 'hot-under-the-collar,' and started threatening everyone who floats a boat in the region's seas and oceans, when the Italian government told him earlier this month - in a formal communique, not less - that it will opt out of renewing its BRI agreement with China.

And that's just one withdrawal. The Philippines will probably be next. Argentina is pulling out of BRICS, and Estonia/Latvia/Lithuania have left China's Central European initiative, with the Czech Republic to come.

China has zero diplomacy skills, zero trust, zero reliability, and zero soft power. The country is failing badly, both domestically and on the world stage, so Xi does the only thing he knows how to do: stomp his feet and lash out.

Stephen Chin Today 07:52 am JST

Taiwan belongs to China. So does Diaoyu.

There is no china. It's actually West Taiwan.

There is no such thing as Diaoyu.

There is only Senkaku.

And it belongs to Japan.

Stephen Chin

The islands are worthless pieces of rock.

If that’s the case China should have no problem not trying to change the status quo and steal the islands from Japan, no?

Nice way to de-escalate tensions, China. Happy New Year.

Stephen ChinToday  08:26 am JST

The islands are worthless pieces of rock.

And that’s why the CCP is expending finite resources, eh?

Either you’re wrong or the Chinese are stupid.

Don't trust China.

If we look at the map, it is very clear that these islands are much closer to Taiwan, China

if we look at the map, it is very clear that Spratly Islands are much closer to Philippines, James Shoal much much much closer to Malaysia, but the shameless china still claim all those islands belongs to them. What kind of logic it is? and mind you, Taiwan is NOT china, they are practically still at war, and according to Theory, china belongs to Taiwan, it is ccp steal it from KMT

Makoto ShimizuToday 09:13 am JST

So basically get nothing from the PRC when they already can't be trusted? The PRC is already drilling around the islands in violation of previous joint development agreements.

No surprise. The Chinese economy is in bad shape. Millions are without a job and Chinese are trying to get out of China. Xi is trying to deflect attention.

Makoto ShimizuToday 09:13 am JST

Why not give up, or propose a joint administration, cooperation in investments to exploit the natural resources around?

Cede legally-Japanese sovereign territory to an aggressive neighbor that is stealing everything in sight? What a terrible idea.

As I say above, if China thinks it has a valid claim it should test this in a tribunal. But it doesn't respect international law, and simply resorts to aggression and stealing all the time. Japan should not reward aggression and stealing.

> AureliusToday 12:04 pm JST

china still has no balls to do anything.

Then why is china bullying everyone ?

yes, china only dare to fly its jets across the Taiwan Strait, touch the borderlines, then quickly fly back to its own territory. yes, china only dare to sail its ships near the Senkaku, once JDF is there, they quickly escape and run away. i remember last time i did exactly the same acts is during my kindergarten times, and now my kids are doing it everyday too. No balls to practically even land even a single footstep in all the dispute regions, it is called no ball. Thank you US marines in Okinawa, and big Thank you to JDF too

Stephen Chin Today 07:52 am JST

Taiwan belongs to China. So does Diaoyu.

Taiwan belongs to china, Senkaku belongs to china, so does Okinawa, Spratly Islands, James Shoal, Vladivostok, and yes, not to forget about the remotes regions in India border there. What else in earth still belongs to china? how about moon and starts also belongs to china? enough?

China's final signal to Japan prior to building on the Islands to take control. This is Japan's last opportunity to move in first and it must do so with US forces there by Japans side as it begins construction. Japan needs to have a small naval base with facilities to dock Destroyers and Frigates as well as partol boats and Coast guard ships. Three or four ships at a time. Also a small air strip for helicopters and drones and if possible for fighters. Add long range radar, SAM and SSM missiles and a garrison to man it all.

China will stretch the string as far as they can, going further and further until they take control or Japan finds a way to stop China going further.

Japan must have forces on the Islands and in the waters surrounding them 24/7 or China will take them. There is no other scenario. China's march to take everything it wants must meet a roadblock or the territory will be lost.

If Japan hesitates any longer, China will take the Islands and use them as a blocking force to interfere with US and Japanese support when Beijing moves against Taiwan. This has become a strategic "must have" for both sides, and the only side looking to do something about it is China. It can not be allowed to happen.

With all due respect to Japan, they are complete weaklings and idiots when it comes to these things.

If they had any backbone and any spine, they would do what China has done in the South China Sea.

They would build military bases on every island they claim, dredge up the sea bed to create artificial islands if necessary, deploy armed military forces, warships and air force planes on all of them, and threaten EVERY Chinese vessel or plan that comes within 12 miles of them.

Just as the Chinese have done in the South China Sea.

China respects only one thing.

Force!!

They are brutal thugs and need to be treated as such!!

is blatant hypocrisy - America did what they have been criticizing Beijing for.

And yes, the treaty and non-participation make the icing on cake more brazen.

Weak whataboutism from the local CCP rep. The talking points were transmitted early today.

I guess Japan should increase it's presence near the Senkaku islets as well, perhaps some building would bolster Japans claims on the island, Maybe just a big flag?

It's a leap year, no?

China plans to keep its ships near the Japan-controlled Senkaku Islands in the East China Sea for 365 days in 2024

>

JJEToday 09:28 am JST

And let's pretend that Biden didn't unilaterally (and illegally) extend the US's continental shelf in multiple oceans last week. Amounts to annexation.

Why do I think that is just nonsense about a standard procedure under the UNCLOS even though the US isn't even a member of that treaty?

PRC is engaging in a maritime equivalent of adverse possession, aka, squatters rights. Japan must keep Coast Guard and JMSDF ships in the region now at all times to enforce their ownership of those islands.

Time to give the US one island for its navy. That’ll stop China immediately.

These islands appeared on Chinese shipping charts of the middle ages as navigation points on the way to and from to Okinawa. No reason, desire or meaning for ownership. Just a few local fishing boats from Okinawa and Formosa.

Now what China wants is the huge ocean resources in/on/under the sea bed which would extend for hundreds of kilometers all round. Sure the islands themselves are rocky and inhospitable.

By not building anything on them, Japan was appealing to an ancient moral code, a mutual respect between them and China.

But as they say, it takes two to tango. Japan needs to present a very firm stance here. Better late than never.

There is an unspoken rule in the world today, supported by the United Nations, called the Status Quo.

China (and Russia among others) feel emboldened to ignore it, and to grab what they can. Sadly they have declared their interests to their own public, which means a loss of face if they do not follow through, a terrible imperative. This means pain for everyone, unless some common sense is allowed to influence things. Xi's appeal to maintain rigid loyalty to the CCP sounds like he wants his minions to abandon common sense.

This is a very dangerous situation, and an aggressive China is responsible for it.

MeiyouwentiToday 09:21 am JST

I suspect there has been a tacit agreement between Japan, China, and probably the US that Japan should gradually give up its control over the islands to China, and the US to acknowledge China’s regional hegemony.

I suspect there hasn't.

Japan and the US would never willingly cede control of the First Island Chain to China.

deanzaZZRToday 09:23 am JST

That's a nice straw man you drew up there.

No, it isn't. It's a theoretical scenario that I would be willing to accept, as I clearly state.

You don't seem to understand the meaning of the term.

TokyoLivingToday 11:49 am JST

And the more tension there is, Good Old US is hiding in a dark corner rubbing his cold, bony, bloody hands..

He says on an article about Chinese caused tension.

Hurry up and put some missile batteries and a base there Japan!

Stephen ChinToday  07:52 am JST

Taiwan belongs to China. So does Diaoyu.

Stephen ChinToday  08:26 am JST

The islands are worthless pieces of rock.

Either you want them, or you don’t. Can you make up your mind? Or is that too much to ask? Either way, your comments are worthless.

Chinese people largely own that debt as the national (gross) savings rate in China 46% . . . But please continue if you like.

Okay.

Savings rates? Domestically, as a percent? Wouldn’t we all rather see just how much Chinese debt is held by foreigners? Hard info to come by, at least out-of-country, since CEIC / The Party considers the information to be sensitive, right? At least they used to, unless somehow The Party has seen the light over this.

But it is useful information for foreign investors.

As Dan Wang, chief economist at Hang Seng Bank, said recently, “the number one sensitive issue now” is foreign investment, because of its links to cross-border capital flows." He explains: “There is a difference between the actual capital flows and the official attitude when it comes to whether they welcome foreign investors or not. Openly, [the government] welcomes foreign investors, but the current situation is not the best for foreigners to stay. There’s a gap between what the government says and what is actually going on in the market.” (Link below).

Ironically, the same source also told us this month how China is “cracking down on negative commentary about the financial market and other sectors as the authorities seek to boost public confidence.”

Alicia García-Herrero, chief economist for Asia Pacific at Natixis, told us that: “Economic topics used to be widely discussed but there is an increasing number of topics that are becoming problematic.” Example? “Topics that are considered increasingly sensitive in China’s economy include record high youth unemployment figures (the government stopped publishing this data in August), deflation, the struggling property sector and capital flight.”

But back to the debt sink.

Forbes, of all places, told us last week that:

First on this list of problems is the near collapse of Chinese property development and the legacy of questionable debt it has left on the books of Chinese banks and other financial institutions. On top of this huge burden is the overpowering overhang of debt facing local Chinese governments, largely because they have had to finance Beijing’s infrastructure projects, many of which have failed to pay an adequate return. Failure among foreign borrowers under China’s Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) have added still more to China’s debt challenge. At the same time, declines in China’s exports and a general economic slowdown have made it harder than ever to cover for the losses . . . Beijing has kept its own debt levels low by forcing local governments to finance infrastructure spending, and besides, the weight on Chinese finance comes from all sorts of debt — of central and local governments as well as private borrowers. In this context, it matters not how the debt is classified. What matters is the weight it imposes on the financial system, and on this, China carries a bigger relative burden than either the United States or Japan.

(Link below).

Want some more?

As reported, by all places, Yahoo Finance:

Figures from Bloomberg and the International Monetary Fund estimate the total value of LGFV debt as more than $9 trillion – not far from the Caixin assessment. The local governments' bonds alone total at about $2 trillion, and any defaults would rock the Asian nation's $60 trillion financial system, according to Bloomberg. In 2023, the LGFVs' hidden debt climbed above 50% of China's GDP for the first time, IMF data show.

(Link below).

Want to watch China’s debt clock going up?

Sure you do! As many potential investors do.

https://commodity.com/data/china/debt-clock/.

The service sagely suggests that we “multiply by at least 3.25 for this figure, then consider adding a figure for China's shadow banking (loans outside of formal banks).”

Links:

https://www.theguardian.com/world/2023/dec/29/china-cracks-down-on-negativity-over-economy-in-bid-to-boost-confidence

https://www.forbes.com/sites/miltonezrati/2023/12/22/moodys-pans-chinas-outlook-beijing-is-not-happy/?sh=c74c72672632

https://finance.yahoo.com/news/chinas-10-trillion-hidden-debt-170001361.html

https://commodity.com/data/china/debt-clock/

China- Challenge accepted.

The Government of China new year gift/resolution to the people of Japan a double down on intimidation.

Provocation, acts of direct harassment will be follow by blocking manoeuvres, ramming, water cannon, direct targeting of Japan fishing fleet. Deployment of short/long range acoustic disruption devices and ‘military-grade laser’ weaponry.

Japan freedom of navigation exercises must be backed up with direct military intervention to demonstrate zero tolerance to Xi Jinping threats.

china think his big ships can do anything in the region, regardless of international laws or world's proper order. Anyway, ask the US marines first in Futenma station before you dare to move even an inch. In front of JDF + US marines you are just three years old playing sands there. i can guarantee you all that 2024, or 2034, china still has no balls to do anything. china is just a despicable fake worm, not a dragon, fear nothing about it.

DeanzaZZRToday 10:55 am JST

Senkaku/Diaoyu play no role in "securing" the First Island Chain.

Of course they do. They don't have military installations on them at the moment, but they could/would do in a conflict. And if China ever stole them, you can bet they'd put military installations on them, just like their illegal South China Sea bases.

The Senkakus are right next to Japan's other southern islands and Taiwan, so strategically very important.

https://www.researchgate.net/figure/Waters-surrounding-the-Senkaku-Islands-Created-by-the-author_fig4_320012617

2024 has 366 days. What happens a year from today then?

So China bullies and antagonizes everyone but

*North Korea vowed to launch three new spy satellites, build military drones, and boost its nuclear arsenal in 2024 as leader Kim Jong Un said U.S. policy is making war inevitable, state media reported on Sunday.*

Sorry America… Darth Vader could vaporize Tatooine and you’d get the blame for it.

Not sure if that’s a good use of China’s financial resources considering their economy has crashed and over their unemployment rate is over 30%.

Complete fiction made up by Communist mouthpieces.

Let's just see what happens if Communist China try to take either the Sankakus or Taiwan. We all know Chinese personnel - in any field - haven't got any courage

Let's stop with this communist nonsense, it weakens our arguments by showing stupidity. Especially Americans please learn what Communism is, the main pillars is that resources are shared equally and that it's built on a classless society, none of those things is/was a thing in the countries Americans scream Communist at. The CCP is not communist, the Soviet Union, North Korea wasn't/isn't communist, they both have/had more clear class based societies than any countries in the west, if anything they are built on class. All these countries are just various mixes of fascism, capitalism and totalitarian dictatorships. These countries just use what ever buzz word that sounds like they care about their people, kind of like North Korea calls itself the democratic republic of korea, and we don't see North Korea as a democratic country just because they call themselves that.

Overall when ever you feel like screaming Communist, just change it to fascistic totalitarian dictatorships, countries can be bad without being communist.

The responsibilty to bring a claim falls entirely on the party makig it. In the case of the Senlakus, Japan already controls it, and it is up to China to bring a case to the ICJ. Japan can not bring a case against itself.

Howver. China has refused to do so, because in order to bring a case to the ICJ, the nations must become a signatory to an agreement to recognizes and respects ICJ rulings, and is obligated to respond to any claim at the ICJ brought against it by any other signatory.

China, with it's mountain of territorial dusputes with various nations does not want to subject themselves to ICJ jurisdiction.

" China expressly opted out of the international court of justice (ICJ) compulsory jurisdiction and practically rejected its voluntary jurisdiction and conventional jurisdiction. Historically, China considered compulsory jurisdiction as being antithetical to its state sovereignty.4 China's approach to international legal issues and related disputes extends exactly to the international criminal justice system. "

chrome-extension://efaidnbmnnnibpcajpcglclefindmkaj/https://www.jicl.ir/article_128770_1606bab42fff80366ddf02d7889c3e99.pdf

Thanks Nixon, Kissinger, and the west's corporate establishment for helping create the beast, and continuing to feed it as it gobbles up more.*

I have to totally agree. Our corporate greed was seen by China, as a way to get more power.

For better or worse, Nixon and Kissenger approached China as a way to triangulate against the USSR. The relationship between the US and PRC tied down a lot of Soviet Army divisions in the east that might otherwise have been deployed against NATO.

As far as commercial relationships go, the going theory was that increased contact between PRC and the west would gradually lead to democratization. If you look at the history of US and western relations with South Korea and Taiwan, both had oppressive military dictatorships. But their citizens had frequent contact with the west and this led to their eventual reform (in both instances after the military overplayed their hand and engaged in gratuitous brutality against their people) and both became model democracies.

In the 1990s there was no reason to think this would not also happen in China, and indeed under Hu Jintao there were experiments with competitive elections in some small local legislative assemblies as well as open discussion in the People's Congress of allow private land ownership.

Xi Jinping has ended these experiments but I have to say, the cat may already be out of the bag and in the fullness of time we may yet see a democratic China. Too many Chinese have studied and traveled abroad. Most families have relatives living abroad. Despite the censorship they know what their leaders tell them is not true and most do not harbor ill will towards the democratic nations like their leaders do. Xi seems like the kind of despot who will, like his predecessors in South Korea and Taiwan, overplay his hand, engage in some egregious brutality against his people that will lead to the downfall of the CCP. I remain hopeful.

nik

because if there are no Chinese warships there, then American ships will quickly come there. What is not clear here.

Your comment -

I just wish the ordinary Chinese people would rise up and call 'Time' on this toxic repressive regime.

They did a couple times. The first created Taiwan, and they died the second time. Communists are murderous bullies and can only be stopped the way Mao proclaimed, at the barrel of the gun.

The problem is, most are quite comfortable with the status quo. They might know they're being lied to but they really don't care enough to do anything and are quite used to having limited state-approved conversations in public.

That only worked as long as the bulk of the Chinese population saw their economic lot improving measurably year after year. The "status quo" was ever increasing prosperity. For China the days of high growth and ever increasing prosperity appear to be a thing of the past.

There is a great deal of anger in China as the homes they are paying for remain incomplete, or in some instances construction has not even begun, young people can't find jobs, families loose money from failed shadow banks and general stagnation. Buyers of incomplete homes are refusing to make any further payments on homes that many never be finished, threatening financial stability further. In other cases families are occupying incomplete homes they are paying for but which the builders have abandoned, leaving people to live in incomplete sometimes windowless high rises that lack power or running water. It is not a recipe for political stability.

Makoto Shimizu, it is perfectly understandable to suggest alternative diplomatic agreements.

If the Government of China could be trusted, if the Government of China respected international law, if the Government of China followed/aligned with any rule-based system of ethics or recognition of even the most basic human rights.

Makoto Shimizu governments cannot win the peace by appeasement, Xi Jinping promises, deals are worthless.

The IMF projects the Chinese economy to only grow at 4.5% in 2024!

Then we read the rest of the IMF forcasts over China. And read the IMF detailing how China’s overall debt-to-GDP has increased four fold over the past forty years. To now, where half of the entire globe’s debt-to-GDP over the past fifteen years is solely due to the “unparalleled” rise in Chinese debt. So that a 47.5 Trillion debt black-hole that they have grown up into this CY, will come to a point where China is likely going to take top-billing as the globe’s debt champ.

And much of that GDP growth? That was largely due to their local governments increasing their debt at will, in order to meet excessively high growth targets proclaimed by the central government. It all came crashing down when the locals no longer can write off their losses. And the central government can no longer attribute GDP growth to the grossly over valued / mostly fictitious "assets."

Little wonder Moody’s cut their credit outlook. I expect the other credit services to follow suit early next year.

Great. Once they’re there, form an outer ring around them.

China's newly appointed Foreign Minister Qin Gang and also Defense Minister Li Shangfu were sacked suddenly because, as for the case of Qin, his peers were said to be jealous of his too early promotion.

But I have a different assumption. That is, both men were aware that China can't lay claim to the Senkakus on the basis of history and international law. The outspoken persons' views were in diagonal opposition to Xi Jinping's conservative stance. Hence, they were sacked.

> Peter14Today 03:28 pm JST

China's final signal to Japan prior to building on the Islands to take control. This is Japan's last opportunity to move in first and it must do so with US forces there by Japans side as it begins construction

100% agree! Japan have to act tough and stop letting the previous war failure haunted them again. If you just show a bit backward, a bit kindness, china commies will engulf you like hungry wolf with no mercy, dont be fooled by their so called "kind and peace" policy. china dare not make a single move now, now is the best timing to smash them before they grow stronger and too strong. Once china fall into war, Vietnam, Philippines, Taiwan, India, those who have disputes with china will take the chance and take whatever belongs to them. time is running out before china become too strong, Japan and US must act fast. Forget about Ukraine and Israel first, this shall be first priority

ICJ?

Lets thinks about that.

The Government of China has refused to .....

International Court Rejects China's Claims To South China Sea

https://www.forbes.com/sites/timdaiss/2016/07/12/philippines-wins-south-china-sea-case-against-china-court-issues-harsh-verdict/?sh=431b94027765

Beijing's response was both fast and terse. State-run Xinhua news agency said that the "law abusing tribunal" issued an ill-founded award on the South China Sea arbitration. China's Foreign Ministry said that "China solemnly declares that the award is null and void and has no binding force. China neither accepts nor recognizes it."

There you have it!!

PTownsendToday  06:29 am JST

Thanks Nixon, Kissinger, and the west's corporate establishment for helping create the beast, and continuing to feed it as it gobbles up more.*

I have to totally agree. Our corporate greed was seen by China, as a way to get more power. We saw it as a way to keep cheap stuff on the shop floor for consumers to buy, to keep inflation down, and for China now to go up the product chain, political chain, and military chain. They may have had the manpower before, and not the military technology, but they are working to build up its quality, and quantity. Just look at their third aircraft carrier. There is only one purpose for an aircraft carrier: to project power and keep the other fleets away. On top of that they are still the world's second largest economy.And as they say Money talks, so Taiwan maybe thrown under the bus. Well done Kissinger, you helped to build a monster. Xiaoping said hide your ambitions and disguise your claws. Now we see their ambitions and we can see the claws. The people won't rise up and overthrow the CCP. ( not yet)

From purely a contemporary geographical POV, these islands are clearly Taiwanese. Forget the patchy history for a minute, if you take a basic look at a map, it's pretty obvious who they should belong to. 170km from Taiwan? About 900km from southern Kyushu???

Geographical location - fortunately - does not determine sovereignty under international law. Never has.

Otherwise you'd be giving the Falklands to Argentina, Jersey and Guernsey to France, the Canary Islands to Morocco - and countless more examples.

The Senkakus are an inherent and sovereign part of Japan. 130 years of Japanese ownership. There is zero trace of them ever being under the control of China. China and Taiwan only became interested in the 1970s when the prospect of gas and oil in the vicinity was raised.

Let's stop with this communist nonsense, it weakens our arguments by showing stupidity. Especially Americans please learn what Communism is, the main pillars is that resources are shared equally and that it's built on a classless society, none of those things is/was a thing in the countries Americans scream Communist at. The CCP is not communist,

Reconcile your comment above with the wording of this speech given by Xi Jinping upon the 100th anniversary of the CCP, partially excerpted below with a link to the full speech.

"We must continue to adapt Marxism to the Chinese context. Marxism is the fundamental guiding ideology upon which our Party and country are founded; it is the very soul of our Party and the banner under which it strives. The Communist Party of China upholds the basic tenets of Marxism and the principle of seeking truth from facts. Based on China's realities, we have developed keen insights into the trends of the day, seized the initiative in history, and made painstaking explorations. We have thus been able to keep adapting Marxism to the Chinese context and the needs of our times, and to guide the Chinese people in advancing our great social revolution. At the fundamental level, the capability of our Party and the strengths of socialism with Chinese characteristics are attributable to the fact that Marxism works.

On the journey ahead, we must continue to uphold Marxism-Leninism, Mao Zedong Thought, Deng Xiaoping Theory, the Theory of Three Represents, and the Scientific Outlook on Development, and fully implement the Thought on Socialism with Chinese Characteristics for a New Era. We must continue to adapt the basic tenets of Marxism to China's specific realities and its fine traditional culture. We will use Marxism to observe, understand, and steer the trends of our times, and continue to develop the Marxism of contemporary China and in the 21st century.

We must uphold and develop socialism with Chinese characteristics. We must follow our own path-this is the bedrock that underpins all the theories and practices of our Party. More than that, it is the historical conclusion our Party has drawn from its struggles over the past century. Socialism with Chinese characteristics is a fundamental achievement of the Party and the people, forged through innumerable hardships and great sacrifices, and it is the right path for us to achieve national rejuvenation. As we have upheld and developed socialism with Chinese characteristics and driven coordinated progress in material, political, cultural-ethical, social, and ecological terms, we have pioneered a new and uniquely Chinese path to modernization, and created a new model for human advancement."

https://asia.nikkei.com/Politics/Full-text-of-Xi-Jinping-s-speech-on-the-CCP-s-100th-anniversary

Too many Chinese have studied and traveled abroad. Most families have relatives living abroad. Despite the censorship they know what their leaders tell them is not true and most do not harbor ill will towards the democratic nations like their leaders do. 

The problem is, most are quite comfortable with the status quo. They might know they're being lied to but they really don't care enough to do anything and are quite used to having limited state-approved conversations in public.

China would want to be careful about the Senkakus though. You have the current US president saying that they'll defend Japan if it comes to it and the likely opposing candidate would only love an excuse to give them a smack after covid.

Come out from the skirts of the US Navy.

As someone who has exercised with the JMSDF and served aboard a US Navy ship attached to a JMSDF task force I can say with authority the JMSDF is as good as navies get in the world today. Their equipment and training are both better than any European navy I have worked with. They are probably the best ASW force in the world, equal to the US Navy in that regard. You can slot a Japanese warship into an American battle group and it functions just like another US Navy ship. Same with our US Navy ship attached to the Japanese task force. Fully compatible. The Japanese forces I have seen are professional and you don't want to be the Chinese or Russian sub the JMSDF hunts. They are good. Now they finally will have two real aircraft carriers and long range strike weapons. About time. They already have SM-3 and they shoot them in exercises off Hawaii with some regularity, hitting their targets. The JMSDF isn't hiding under anyone's skirts. If the political leadership is there, the JMSDF has the capability to execute. I have seen it.

TamaramaToday 07:03 am JST

I find all this talk about China's hegemony pretty funny, when the US literally has them ringed by military bases on their own doorstep. Talk about hypocrisy. Talk about the pot calling the kettle black.

Is China 4x the US population and 10x Japan's population or isn't it? If you have a better idea of how to keep South Korea, Japan, Taiwan, and the Philippines safe, I'm all for it.

Disputed areas should be assigned to the UN, and Globally recognized Laws enacted to reinforce this - particularly for the inhabitants of those areas. i.e. they are granted a special UN (Nationality free) passport for travel.

Sounds nice but we have already seen that China does not accept the jurisdiction of the UN in their territorial dispute with the Philippines. China does not respect existing international law but rather seeks to change it to satisfy their desires for resources and ever more control. It is the whole Middle Kingdom mindset again.

deanzaZZRDec. 31, 2023  04:25 pm JST

Bring it. Come out from the skirts of the US Navy.

The Chinese PLA has no history of actually winning any wa with another country. The Japanese have a considerable history of winning wars prior to WWII. Your infantile chest beating is unfounded.

DanielsanToday 05:24 am JST

In Vietnam, Kissinger and Nixon bribed China with a long term deal that allowed the USA to slink away claiming "Peace with honor."

There is no proof that the China overture wasn't primarily targeted at Russia. China also lost to Vietnam, so no peace with honor for them either.

That only worked as long as the bulk of the Chinese population saw their economic lot improving measurably year after year. The "status quo" was ever increasing prosperity. 

Good points. I guess I would counter by saying the zero covid policy tested the appetite of the Chinese public for change and didn't really amount to much. I think you could be right over the long term though.

They’re taking Feb. 29 off then, are they?

China plans to keep ships near Senkakus for 365 days in 2024

OK, I got it, but what is Japan planning about Senkaku?

Oh, no! The IMF projects the Chinese economy to only grow at 4.5% in 2024

Come on. China's economy has already collapsed twice!

Why doesn't Japan ask China to take this to the ICJ, like it asks South Korea on that island issue?

China plans to keep ships near Senkakus

Of course they do. Where is the surprise? It is like reporting "Kim plans to keep firing missiles" or "Biden plans to continue unlimited migration".

The Chinese are not totally unproven fighters; in my lifetime, the USA and China have fought each other by proxy twice.

In Korea, the conflict has never been formally resolved, it is still a standoff.

In Vietnam, Kissinger and Nixon bribed China with a long term deal that allowed the USA to slink away claiming "Peace with honor."

It is the height of insanity to expect a third war by proxy to have a different result.

Hmmm.

From purely a contemporary geographical POV, these islands are clearly Taiwanese. Forget the patchy history for a minute, if you take a basic look at a map, it's pretty obvious who they should belong to. 170km from Taiwan? About 900km from southern Kyushu???

From a historical POV, Japan has them from a naughtier time, and frankly, those rocks aren't worth it. Forget the idiotic nationalists who gnash their teeth over 'sovereign territory', or a short lived and long defunct fishing enterprise, Japan would do itself a favour by looking for a diplomatic solution and offloading them, preferably to Taiwan.

I find all this talk about China's hegemony pretty funny, when the US literally has them ringed by military bases on their own doorstep. Talk about hypocrisy. Talk about the pot calling the kettle black.

Complete fiction made up by Communist mouthpieces.

Let's just see what happens if Communist China try to take either the Sankakus or Taiwan. We all know Chinese personnel - in any field - haven't got any courage.

You can criticize China without resorting to outdated rhetoric. China is ruled by a CCP that practices guided market, centrally planned hyper-capitalism and jails Marxist, labor supporting students.

https://www.ft.com/content/fd087484-2f23-11e9-8744-e7016697f225

China is as communist as the DPRK is a Democratic Peoples republic.

And the more tension there is, Good Old US is hiding in a dark corner rubbing his cold, bony, bloody hands..

From 2002 to 2012, the Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications paid the Kurihara family ¥25 million a year to rent Uotsuri, Minami-Kojima and Kita-Kojima." In May 2012, both the Tokyo Metropolitan and Japanese central governments announced plans to negotiate purchase of Uotsuri, Kita-Kojima, and Minami-Kojima from the Kurihara family,[50] and on September 11, 2012, the Japanese government nationalized its control over Minami-kojima, Kita-kojima, and Uotsuri islands by purchasing them from the Kurihara family for ¥2.05 billion

It has been a waste of public money, no doubts

And who owns that debt in China? Chinese people largely own that debt as the national (gross) savings rate in China 46% as measured most recently by the World Bank. The United States slots in at 18%. Japan, also a high savings society, clocks in at 29%.

But please continue if you like.

Forget Senkakus, Taiwan is all yours..

It is blatant hypocrisy - America did what they have been criticizing Beijing for.

And yes, the treaty and non-participation make the icing on cake more brazen.

Oh, no! The IMF projects the Chinese economy to only grow at 4.5% in 2024!

But wait, the last time the Japanese economy has reached this "slow growth" level of economic activity was over 30 years ago.

https://data.worldbank.org/indicator/NY.GDP.MKTP.KD.ZG?locations=JP

New alert! Senkaku/Diaoyu play no role in "securing" the First Island Chain. Indeed, Taiwan's fate is partially determined by the need of China to secure a way out of the US stranglehold.

It is what it is.

Japan and the US would never willingly cede control of the First Island Chain to China.

Using average JT logic this is 100% correct.

 Taiwan is NOT china, they are practically still at war, and according to Theory, china belongs to Taiwan, it is ccp steal it from KMT

If we look at the map, it is very clear that these islands are much closer to Taiwan, China. It would be an opportunity to demonstrate flexibility and diplomacy. Why not give up, or propose a joint administration, cooperation in investments to exploit the natural resources around? Giving up on these islands and get in exchange from China and Taiwan an explicit support to recover the Japanese islands invaded by Russia in the Second World War would be much more valuable.

Bring it. Come out from the skirts of the US Navy.

China- Challenge accepted.

And let's pretend that Biden didn't unilaterally (and illegally) extend the US's continental shelf in multiple oceans last week. Amounts to annexation.

That's a nice straw man you drew up there. Japan will not go through the arbitration process because Japan fears Senkaku/Diaoyu will be ruled to be rocks.

I'd actually be fine with Japan allowing an UNCLOS tribunal to settle this matter once and for all... on the pre-condition that China dismantles all its illegal islands and military installations

As if continent sized nation with an ancient civilization of more than 4,000 years with neighbors that include Huns, Turks, Mongols and Jurchens has no war heroes. There is a cure to blind ignorance, learning.

I suspect there has been a tacit agreement between Japan, China, and probably the US that Japan should gradually give up its control over the islands to China, and the US to acknowledge China’s regional hegemony. Next move and it’s checkmate.

Negotiations would be bilateral. If the South China Sea arbitration panel logic is applied to the Senkaku/Diaoyu they will be classified as rocks and not islands. I'm not sure Japan wants to go there.

That's an interesting take you have there Mr. Fighto. Would you care to elaborate?

We all know Chinese personnel - in any field - haven't got any courage.

because if there are no Chinese warships there, then American ships will quickly come there. What is not clear here.

That would make things extra spicy for the new year.

and fire upon any Chinese vessel which gets close to Japanese land.

Japan rules out negotiations so here we are today.

Nixon drew a line including that isles into the map of Japan without consulting the Chinese. At that time 1972 US was an enemy's nation!

The islands are worthless pieces of rock.

It's Chinese territory, suck it up and move on Japan.

Taiwan belongs to China. So does Diaoyu.

They should!