Japanese lawmakers call for military drills with U.S. around disputed isles

This is China operating on multiple fronts to probe the regions resolve with the militarized responses to Beijing's future pushes. 

China under Xi is picking fights all around its perimeter and making enemies at every turn. One wonders if Xi's eyes will turn out to be bigger than his belly as they say? He seems to be going out of his way to antagonize China's neighbors near and far.

This is China operating on multiple fronts to probe the regions resolve with the militarized responses to Beijing's future pushes. Japan needs to double-down on going eye to eye and toe to toe with these events now and in the years to come.

America is focused to deliver a stronger and more powerful response now and in its future arsenals. China is showing its hand at becoming the world's villains. The polyester suits and the Audi's are only modern day camouflage.

a nuclear war between USA and China will see Japan obviated and Russia becoming the new world superpower.

The object is to prevent such a war. The Chinese do not think like other peoples and the CCP, cough, cough, "leadership" even moreso. They understand power. If they ever start to think they could attack Japan and win, they will attack Japan. Do not be naive and believe otherwise. The Chinese have been conditioned in the last two decades to hate Japan and to feel as if they will be justified in taking revenge. Absent countervailing power, they will attack Japan. Remember Hitler didn't start off with big invasions. He tested European resolve by taking small bites first, the Sudetenland and then Czechoslovakia. When France and UK sat on their hands he knew he could get away with taking more. Same thing with China. They have already taken a couple of islands from the Philippines and run a Vietnamese oil exploration project right out of Vietnam's EEZ, both in violation of international maritime law. What did the world do? Nothing. Not one darn thing. Yes there was a decision against China in the International Court of Arbitration but China ignored it. Absent a military force to drive their forces off the islands they took, they now own another nation's land. They will likewise take Japanese land if they think they can get away with it. The purpose of a military exercise is to demonstrate that Japanese and US forces acting in concert could drive them off if the Chinese ever have the temerity to try to take the Senkakus. That is how wars are prevented friends. Make it clear enough to your enemies they do not have a reasonable chance of success. Dictators don't like losing battles. It's blood in the water for their internal enemies and Xi Jinping has no shortage of enemies within the CCP. He only has to lose one battle to be sent back to the cave he once was imprisoned in.

Exercises around the Senkaku Islands would be a good opportunity for the US Marines to beta test their new strategy of landing units equipped with anti-ship missiles on small islands to be used in concert with naval forces to corral and destroy an enemy naval force.

Even North Korea can afford nuclear weapons. Pakistan and India too have hundreds of them.

Hope you're not implying that Japan couldn't afford even one, for they're so "expensive".

If a nuclear war ensued in Europe, the US would issue their B-61 nuclear bombs to the German, Dutch and Italian air forces to use. Possibly also Greek and Turkish air forces. Carrying nuclear weapons requires specially equipped aircraft. Not every NATO F-16 or F-35 has the gear to do so. Theoretically if the US did have nuclear weapons in Japan they could likewise be issued to the JASDF in a major war. To the best of my knowledge Japanese aircraft are not so equipped and it isn't something that can be installed over night by the operating unit. There is also no evidence of the sorts of heavily guarded hangers and bomb storage bunkers one sees at NATO air bases that are known to host nuclear weapons equipped squadrons. The facilities and extra security infrastructure are pretty obvious.

"Not to mention how expensive they would be."

Even North Korea can afford nuclear weapons. Pakistan and India too have hundreds of them.

Hope you're not implying that Japan couldn't afford even one, for they're so "expensive".

The Carrot and the Stick

This will get the Chinese attention and get them back to the negotiating table

but no more carrots this time just Americas stick : )

What strange way to waste tax payers money ???.

. . . what will the Japan - U.S. policy be towards the Northern territories?

I am aware of that, but I can’t think of a better word for 自治会長

Kayo does not have a 自治会長 (jichi kaicho) either. The elected leader of the district or ward is referred to as the 区長 (Kucho)

Definition of ally-

a state formally cooperating with another for a military or other purpose.

We here you Japan. We stand with you against the Chinese or any aggressor threatening your lands or your democratic way of life.

A message will be sent to the hegemonic, ideology of Mao of old, and socialist China of the not so old into the nationalist China of today. A very strong message soon.

The Chinese are the biggest threat on this side of the planet Earth or more.

GoodlucktoyouToday  11:31 am JST

Seen an antique map of the area with my own eyes. It was definitely Chinese.

Anytime after 1969 is hardly "antique".

https://www.japantimes.co.jp/news/2015/03/17/national/politics-diplomacy/foreign-ministrys-1969-china-map-identifies-senkaku-islands-by-japanese-name/

Drills are important.

The alliance with America is important.

What's even more important for our security for Japan's safety is becoming a normal country again with a normal military.

Not even Germany is rescricted by such a backwards article 9, only Japan is the only country In the world to sign such a weakness and follow it still to the present day of 2020.

: Apparently, there's a conflict of views on both sides regarding the territoriality of the Senkakus. Rather than abruptly resorting to a physical confrontation, both Tokyo and Beijing must come once again to a negotiating table and discuss why they think the Senkakus/Diayudais belong to them. There's a lot of room to discuss and solve the problem.

The only one having conflict is Bejiing. A ruling by the International community was issued not too long ago as to who has possession. Bejiing like other negotiations refuses to abide nor accept, even with overwhelming evidence that clearly as seen by and accepted by other countries that this territory is clearly Japan's. No there is no more negotiating table or discussion a ruling was issued that's it case closed. The only room if any is for China to accept it and get out of there and behave. Stop all the encroachment and destabilizing the region.

Seen an antique map of the area with my own eyes. It was definitely Chinese.

also there are nukes on Japanese land and maybe in ships in Japanese waters.

a nuclear war between USA and China will see Japan obviated and Russia becoming the new world superpower.

it is better to fight the pandemic, climate change and the nano-plastics poisoning our food chain...together.

Please also let Japanese civilians freely visit the islands, just for picnicking or whatever. That would be the most peaceful, effect way to reclaim the sovereignty over the disputed territory.

Valid reasons for civilian trip can be made: field research on local environment, or pay homage to cemeteries of former residents.

There is nothing wrong with Japan inviting America to join it in military exercises. What is new is the close proximity to disputed islands that Japan administers. A warning to all nations of the exercises in the vicinity will test if China adheres to international norms and stops sending ships and planes during the warning period. Being forced to do so is counter to their claims of ownership, but as the world recognizes Japan currently holds the administrator card it will be impossible for China to do more than protest and comply with the stay away advice, or risk direct confrontation with not only Japan but with the stronger force of America.

China may risk it just against Japanese forces but not when America is involved. So if they go ahead it is a way of showing that China does not control the islands but Japan does. This can only strengthen their claim while weakening China's claim.

Good move. But watch out for China to try to take control by landing troops and engineers to begin constructing buildings and a base, perhaps a few weeks or months after the embarrassing exercise.

China has more "Phase Array Radar Missile Destroyers" than Japan-S.Korea combined, as long as she has the biggest submarine fleet in the regin....the PLA Navy is already a ble water navy

Open a Yoshinoya on the Senkakus!

Even if Japan was allowed to have nukes, the majority of people would be against it. Not to mention how expensive they would be.

The constitution doesn't need to be changed in order for the Japanese navy to do its job.

It doesn't matter how important the Senkakus are. Ceding territory to another country, especially an aggressive one like China, would just be asking for trouble.

Pukey2Today  09:52 am JST

Hiding behind America again?

And if they didn't you'd be whining that they're going back to to pre WWII militarism.

Do the hustleToday  08:26 am JST

Big brother’s nuclear shield. They are lucky Abe didn’t succeed in changing the constitution coz they would be on their own against China and be swatted like a fly.

It is the United States that "forced" Japan to create the JSDF in 1950. Since then the US has continuously applied pressure for Japan to amend it's constitution and rearm. All through Vietnam and Iraq wars and today.

Hiding behind America again?

P. SmithToday  07:00 am JST

If these islands are so important to Japan, deal with it yourself. 

These islands are as important to the United States as they are to Japan. They are part of Okinawa Prefecture which houses the largest US military presence in Asia and has served as the gateway to strategic operations in the region, including Vietnam, since WWII ended. Okinawa is crucial for US support of allies like Taiwan and South Korea as well. The US will not permit China to take the Senkakus as the Chinese objective is to break the First Island Chain to become a blue water navy to challenge the United States.

I’m well aware of the strategic importance of those islands; I’m just tired of Japanese people bitching about the US presence in Japan, but expecting us to step up when they need us.

Let's clarify something here, it's the Japanese/Okinawan people that bitch about the US presence, and a very small number at that, who get an inordinate amount of press coverage in relation to the overall "problems" as they see it.

Dont confuse ALL of Japan, with one prefecture that is in reality, strategically more important to the overall security of Japan, than just about anywhere else in the country.

Without the prefecture of Okinawa, Japanese overall territory, including the Senkakus and all the islands that make up the prefecture, the total territory of Japan would be close it halved.

THe people who complain the loudest, conveniently overlook this fact ALL the time!

I think many readers has the wrong assumption about the Japan and US relation. Firstly when people say that the japanese want the US troops to leave japan is totally wrong. Only Okinawa is oppose to it and for other reasons that what you might suspect. The Okinawa governor don't want to shoulder the cost of hosting the troops nor do they like having military bases so near residence area's because of safety and noise issue's.

Secondly US rely heavily on Japan when it comes to confrontation with China. Because Japan serve as one of their important navy bases. It is the US who keep pressuring Japan to respond more strongly due to China expansion. China and Japan relationship improving is not what US want to see. Japan and US alliance was created to counter China, Russia and North Korea aggression.

Thirdly it comes to the constitution. Abe have spend countless years trying to change it and still not succeed. This tells you just how much the japanese citizens hated it to have a army on it's own. The US would be more than happy if Japan have their own army. This means more weapon sales and more active troops from the Japanese side to participate helping US troops in combat. Also as long the constitution remains, all army decision when it comes to outside threats are handle by the US and their troops.

And people keep saying Japan should just make nukes. As if the US wouldn't be more than happy to sell or station their nukes in Japan territory. It can be easily done if Japan really wanted nukes but the Japanese people don't want it. In fact the Pentagon has been complaining for years that Japan should be more active when it comes to international conflicts.

The US ever abandoning Japan is a delusion by many. Because without Japan, the US would lose all influence in the South and East China sea. That is like losing Asia and all it's business. We serve as a port for them to resupply their navy.

A new war might start there accidentally, better not do it around there.

Raising tensions with military exercises might not play out as some people hope. Then again some people hope for war while saying they hope for peace through saber rattling.

The Senkaku's/ Diaoyu are simply unclaimable. There is not enough space there. Both nations should work out a deal attesting to the fact and both let go of them.

Big brother’s nuclear shield. They are lucky Abe didn’t succeed in changing the constitution coz they would be on their own against China and be swatted like a fly.

If the US allows Japan to have nukes...

There is no evidence that Japan does not possess nuclear weapon parts and delivery systems lying in close formation and only a few screwdriver turns away from assembly in short order.

Japan posses enough plutonium for over 1,000 nuclear weapons.

Japan did not sign the UN treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons.

Former Minister of Defense Ishiba:

"I don't think Japan needs to possess nuclear weapons, but it's important to maintain our commercial reactors because it would allow us to produce a nuclear warhead in a short amount of time ... It's a tacit nuclear deterrent"

If you ask Japan SDF personnel if they think Japan has nuclear weapons, the answer is usually, "I hope so."

I think it's naive to think Japan does not have a nuclear capability.

rgcivilian1

You say "These islands are clearly Japan's" and so "it has every right what to do with the islands as it sees fit." Fine. But China says exactly the same thing. They say the islands are an integral part of China historically and under international law. The China Coast Guard ships are engaged in their current activites in the Senkaku waters on this premise.

Apparently, there's a conflict of views on both sides regarding the territoriality of the Senkakus. Rather than abruptly resorting to a physical confrontation, both Tokyo and Beijing must come once again to a negotiating table and discuss why they think the Senkakus/Diayudais belong to them. There's a lot of room to discuss and solve the problem.

Japan: Help! China is taking over the islands.

US: Sorry, we are refraining from being the "cops" of the world.

Go Japan, US should do it if a true ally.

If these islands are so important to Japan, deal with it yourself. The US military is already stretched too thinly and we don’t need to be taking care of other people’s problems anymore.

Hmmm...let me guess, you are unaware of the strategic importance those islands play in the Japan Security treaty with the US as well?

Let's say China takes complete control of those islands, you now have a potential enemy within shouting distance of Japanese territory, and would end up destabilizing the entire region, at a minimum.

Oh and the US military wouldnt be so "stretched" if it's leaders could just keep from refraining on being the "cops" of the world!

P. Smith

If the US allows Japan to have nukes to defend itself from nuclear armed aggressors like China, then the thinly stretched US forces can pack up and go home.

What a great way to start the morning, thank you JT. Highly support this if it comes to reality and long long overdue. These islands are clearly Japan's and is officially recognized by the majority of the world as Japan territory. It has every right what to do with the islands as it sees fit. Please press forward Japan. "China's maritime and air forces have been stepping up their activities around the islands, creating a situation that warrants deep concerns." is a major understatement. China is the only aggressor out there and started this entire mess. If only they would act responsibly and keep it to business vs force encroachment and false claims.