ringoffire comments

Good to see Japan helping the Vietnamese.

btw Vietnam doesn't seem to need used subs - they are currently bringing into service modern Russian kilo class subs along with Klub missiles - which China has noticed.

https://johnib.wordpress.com/2015/06/03/china-not-happy-with-russia-after-russian-klub-missiles-found-on-vietnamese-submarines/

Interesting to see the Chinese media reaction! This is from Xinhua english.

"But the latest string of deadly attacks by Vietnamese mobs against Chinese citizens and companies in Vietnam are particularly worrying.

The senseless attacks, which came after Vietnamese ships and personnel repeatedly harassed the normal operations by a Chinese oil company in undisputed waters in the South China Sea, cannot be justified under any circumstances."

re: Scott Johnson

Perhaps the focus on China is because of their (somewhat extravagant) claims to almost all of the South China Sea. I'm sure you've seen it on maps - it runs all the way down the coast of Vietnam, way down to Indonesia's economic zone then past East Malaysia & back up the coast of the Philippines.

And given their growing "blue water" navy acting to enforce their claims vs. Vietnam and the Philippines in particular, these are not academic issues in the region and mirror their tactics vs Japan.

Frankly, their policy viz Japan and the disputed islands baffles me as it was bound to result in a strengthening of sentiment in Japan for a stronger military - Abe or no Abe. Which, one would assume, would not be in their tactical or strategic interest.

So, no surprise, they will now have a Japanese military response. (as well, much smaller Vietnam is buying Russian attack submarines and even the Philippines will add to their little navy- which I don't think are a result of the threat from Japan!)

It's interesting that so many have negative comments re: Abenomics.

While it is still early days, it's not like the status quo ante was working. 20 plus years of economic stagnation wasn't exactly evidence of prior successful economic management.

Conservative monetary policy by the BOJ obviously hasn't been working and in my opinion it is long overdue for Japan to try to inflate it's way out of a negative, deflationary low growth malaise.

It's obvious that corporate Japan has been unable to compete with the high yen in the recent past. Look at the losses at companies like Sony and Panasonic. You can't have a successful economy which doesn't create wealth for companies, individual investors and jobs in Japan.

Of course the next steps, trade liberalization and structural economic reforms will be difficult given the power of special interests. Here is wishing Abenomics good luck, he'll need it.

Why not? Way overdue for bold action after decades of stagnation and deflation.

Japan's economic malaise has had tremendous costs and it's surprising that some here advocate just continuing the status quo with chronic "endaka" as companies can't afford to compete, expand and employ.

Of course, reforms are also necessary - hopefully "abenomics" will attempt comprehensive structural change to reverse Japan's economic decline.

And of course there are risks, this should have been attempted decades ago before all the debt from dubious infrastructure and stimulus programs was wasted. But better to try to inflate your way out of the current mess- rather than do too little as usual.

@IRobin Your distorted sino-centric views only add to the evidence of why China has so many disputes in the region.

Just look at a map of territorial claims for the South China Sea. China's claim runs down the Vietnam coastline to the 200 mile economic zone of Indonesia, along the coast of East Malaysia and then up the coast of the Philippines!

Notwithstanding China's imperial history - it does take a lot of chutzpa in the modern era to try to claim all of that territory considering how far mainland China is from the disputed waters & how close the other countries are.

Furthermore, regarding China's invasion of Vietnam in 1979 ostensibly "to teach the Vietnamese a lesson" for Vietnam's invasion of China's ally ( the genocidal Khmer Rouge in Cambodia/Kampuchea), the Chinese took heavy casualties - declared the way open to Ha Noi (despite hundreds of thousands of Vietnamese forces in reserve) and withdrew - destroying or stealing anything of value as they left.

Not exactly China's proudest moment in international relations, but a telling cautionary historical note for its neighbors today.