Reuters: Clinton warns against coercion in South China Sea dispute

[SkinInsite]

We should have just kept those Islands after WW2.

[Park City Skins]

http://worldnews.nbcnews.com/_news/2...ite&ocid=msnhp

Panasonic, Canon shutter China factories amid violent anti-Japan protests

http://www.theaustralian.com.au/news...-1226475484583

China, Japan heading towards war, says US Defence Secretary Leon Panetta

[Skin'emAlive]

I have not seen any disputes in Beijing yet. However i will say that a majority of people here are brainwashed into believing whatever the people tell them to believe. There are so many people, with such little education, that many of them rely on others, or word of mouth to get news. And that word of mouth is usually negative or with money's best interests in mind. The people dont necessarily understand why they deserve these islands. They barely even know what is going on honestly.

I hope it doesnt get too dangerous honestly; there are some great people here. But on the flip side... there are just so many people. This past year i have seen a huge increase in xenophobia. There was an issue with a british expat here about 5 months back. He attempted to abuse a local girl here during a late night binge in a near by bar street. Other locals stopped it and kicked his ass and filmed it. He deserved the beating. That video then caused a huge uproar around here. A new law was made, strengthening the difficulty for foreigners to get in, renew visas, etc. People started to really dislike any foreigners, correlating any foreigner with that guy. I started to get stood up or ripped off by cab drivers on a daily basis. Surprise documentation checkups became frequent. Things started to get a little harder for any foreigner living here all because 1 guy did something stupid while drunk. 1 guy caused a high percentage of 20,000,000 people to get pissed off at every foreigner. Think about that, and you can understand how easy it is for them to start riots regarding these islands that most dont know the name of, location of, or history of; and above all... that none of them will ever see.

[visionary]

http://www.globaltimes.cn/content/733756.shtml

Fishermen set sail for Diaoyu waters

About 1,000 fishing boats from Zhejiang and Fujian provinces set sail for the waters around the Diaoyu Islands on Monday, after a fishing moratorium in the East China Sea ended a day earlier.

Despite the on-going China-Japan spat over the sovereignty over the islands, the move came amid assurances that fishery authorities would provide the necessary services for Chinese fishermen in the area, a traditional fishing ground.

More than 1,000 Chinese fishing boats fish around the waters of the Diaoyu Islands every year, annually netting more than 150,000 tons, according to the Ministry of Agriculture. However, Chinese fishing boats have often been harassed and expelled by the Japan Coast Guard.

The Chinese fishery administration department will provide services for fishing in waters near the Diaoyu Islands, foreign ministry spokesman Hong Lei said in a regular press briefing on Monday.

The Ministry of Agriculture also stated that patrol forces would protect China's sovereignty and the safety of Chinese fishermen's life and property.

The waters around the Diaoyu Islands have been the fishing ground for fishermen in Zhejiang, Fujian and Taiwan for generations, the Ministry of Agriculture stated last week.

The Japan Coast Guard and the National Police Agency said Friday that coast guard officers will be allowed to make arrests and undertake investigations on the islands claimed by Japan, including the Diaoyu Islands, according to the Daily Yomiuri.

https://twitter.com/DanielePinto

Thousands of protesters marching past Japan embassy in Beijing chanting slogans, demanding boycotts and claiming disputed islands.
9:29 PM

Japan's Honda shuts China factories, Nissan and Toyota scale back production as China marks war anniversary with anti-Japan protests.
9:40 PM

[mad4comp]

I have not seen any disputes in Beijing yet. However i will say that a majority of people here are brainwashed into believing whatever the people tell them to believe. There are so many people, with such little education, that many of them rely on others, or word of mouth to get news. And that word of mouth is usually negative or with money's best interests in mind. The people dont necessarily understand why they deserve these islands. They barely even know what is going on honestly.

I agree with this assessment, but in all honesty this was the plan from the get go by the PRC government. They are claiming land based on historical precedence, similar to if India were to claim all the countries up to Saudia Arabia in the west and Burma/Myanmar to the east, because at one point and time, they were under the Indus Valley Civilization's rule. They are risking going to war with all the ASEAN countries as well as the USA, which is why the PRC needs to step in and take control, but this is unlikely to happen as it was their agenda all along.

And in all honesty, Japan would wipe China off the face of this earth or at worst make it a Pyrrhic victory for the Chinese. This is a dangerous game the Chinese are playing and they are risking an all out war on the Pacific front for some absurd historical reasons..

[Koala]

And in all honesty, Japan would wipe China off the face of this earth or at worst make it a Pyrrhic victory for the Chinese. This is a dangerous game the Chinese are playing and they are risking an all out war on the Pacific front for some absurd historical reasons..

I dunno, I dont think Japan has really many options except to complain loudly. Their economy never recovered from the 90's tanking, China's is still growing. As far as militaries go, I have no idea why you postulate that Japan could win a war against China, unless the U.S. comes to the rescue. Which we're not doing, because we'd have to borrow money from the Chinese to afford it. After all the barking is done, China is the only dog that can bite.

[Skin'emAlive]

Eh...

comment deleted.

[visionary]

http://www.smh.com.au/world/japanese...918-264ku.html

Japanese businesses close as China burns over anniversary

About 1000 fishing boats mobilised by China are nearing an island chain controlled by Japan, as the quarrel between the countries resulted in Japanese businesses suspending their Chinese operations.

Chinese fishing boats, which appear suspiciously well-drilled and organised, have clashed with the Japanese Coast Guard over the islands in the past, but never in such numbers.

Japan's Coast Guard reported seeing fishing boats outside the territorial waters of the islands, known as Diaoyu in Chinese and Senkaku in Japanese, Kyodo News reported yesterday.

They may be joined by six Chinese patrol ships, which briefly entered Japanese waters last Friday in a show of defiance. The dispute over the islands, which has been rumbling for decades, intensified last week after Japan announced it had bought some of the archipelago for the nation from a Japanese family.

A number of Japanese businesses have suspended their China operations. Panasonic, Canon, Honda, Mazda and Toyota have halted their factories, while almost 200 7-eleven convenience stores have shut and Uniqlo, the clothes retailer, has removed the signs from its shop and shut its doors.

''I want to leave,'' said a Nissan executive, who declined to be named, in the southern Chinese city of Guangzhou. ''Protests near my home were horrifying over the weekend.''

[visionary]

Because things aren't crazy enough in China already....





http://www.google.com/hostednews/ap/...37c19845c784d7

Beijing demonstrators damage US ambassador's car

A car carrying the U.S. ambassador to China was mildly damaged after becoming the target of boisterous anti-Japan demonstrators who were expressing outrage over a territorial dispute and marking the 81st anniversary of Japan's invasion of China.

The State Department said in a statement Wednesday that Ambassador Gary Locke was unhurt in Tuesday's incident, and that diplomats have expressed concerns to the Chinese Foreign Ministry.

The statement said around 50 protesters surrounded Locke's car as he tried to enter the embassy and were eventually removed by Chinese security personnel.

The incident comes amid heightened vigilance for American diplomats following violent attacks on U.S. embassies in Libya, Yemen and Egypt. The statement said embassy officials have asked the Chinese government to do everything possible to protect American facilities and personnel.

[JMS]

We should have just kept those Islands after WW2.

We have a treaty with Japan. If their recognized territory comes under attack, our treaty says we will come to Japan's aid.
So this could quickly turn into a US / China dispute; even while the State Dept is saying we take no sides in territory disputes.

---------- Post added September-19th-2012 at 12:24 PM ----------

[/COLOR]http://freebeacon.com/chinese-genera...re-for-combat/

Chinese General: Prepare for Combat
Top Chinese general in unusual move tells troops to ready for combat with Japan

China’s most powerful military leader, in an unusual public statement, last week ordered military forces to prepare for combat, as Chinese warships deployed to waters near disputed islands and anti-Japan protests throughout the country turned violent.

[visionary]

http://english.kyodonews.jp/news/2012/09/183993.html

2 Chinese ships enter Japan's territorial waters near Senkakus

TOKYO, Sept. 24, Kyodo


Two Chinese surveillance vessels entered Japan's territorial waters near the disputed Senkaku Islands early Monday morning, the Japan Coast Guard said.

The Japanese government set up a countermeasures team at the prime minister's office following the intrusion by the Haijian 66 and Haijian 46, government officials said.

Bilateral ties have soured particularly in the wake of Japan's nationalization earlier this month of the Senkakus in the East China Sea, which are claimed by China, leading to the cancellation of ceremonial events that had been slated for Thursday in Beijing to mark the 40th anniversary of the normalization of ties between the two countries.

http://www.aljazeera.com/news/asia-p...337351926.html

Chinese ships deployed near disputed islands

Two Chinese marine surveillance ships have entered what Japan considers to be its territorial waters near disputed islands in the East China Sea, the Japanese Coast Guard says.

China's Xinhua news agency confirmed that two civilian surveillance ships were undertaking a "rights defence" patrol in waters near the disputed islands on Monday. The news agency cited the State Oceanic Administration, which controls the ships.

As of 7:00am local time (22:00 GMT on Sunday), two Chinese maritime surveillance ships were spotted in waters off Kubashima and Uotsurijima, the Japanese Coast Guard said.

Sino-Japanese relations deteriorated sharply after Japan bought the islands, called Senkaku in Japan and Diaoyu in China, sparking anti-Japan protests in cities across China.

"In recent days, Japan has constantly provoked incidents concerning the Diaoyu islands issue, gravely violating China's territorial sovereignty," China's Xinhua news agency said.

The ship patrols were intended to exercise China's "administrative jurisdiction" over the islands, it said.

"Following the relevant laws of the People's Republic of China, [the ships] again carried out a regular rights defence patrol in our territorial waters around the Diaoyu islands."

The Japanese Coast Guard ordered the Chinese ships to move out of the area, but received no response, an official said.

[visionary]

And things just got messier.

http://www.reuters.com/article/2012/...88N01M20120924

Japan protests as Chinese ships enter disputed waters

Four Chinese ships briefly entered what Japan considers its territorial waters near disputed islands in the East China Sea on Monday, prompting an official protest from Tokyo and renewed diplomatic efforts to cool tensions between the rivals.

In a move that could further complicate the territorial row that is threatening relations between Asia's biggest economies, a group of fishermen from Taiwan -- which also claims the rocky isles -- said as many as 100 boats escorted by 10 Taiwan Coast Guard vessels were headed for the area.

China's Xinhua news agency said in the morning that two civilian surveillance ships were undertaking a "rights defense" patrol near the islands, citing the State Oceanic Administration, which controls the ships. Two fishery patrol vessels were also detected inside waters claimed by Japan.

Japan lodged an official protest.

By afternoon, all four Chinese vessels had moved further away, the Japanese Coast Guard said.

The arrival of Taiwan vessels in the area could complicate the potentially fraught game of cat-and-mouse being played near the islands, where mainland China has launched an effort to assert sovereignty by sending government ships into the disputed waters.

Taiwan television showed boats bound for the islands leaving Suao port in heavy rain, sporting banners and large Taiwan flags. News reports said bad weather could delay their arrival, expected overnight on Monday.

The Taiwan fishing group said their boats would sail around the islands to reassert their right to fish there and did not rule out trying to land on the rocky isles.

Taiwan Defense Minister Kao Hua-chu told parliament that the military was ready for any contingency, but did not elaborate.

Taiwan has traditionally had friendly ties with Japan, but the two countries have long squabbled over fishing rights in the area. Beijing deems Taiwan to be an illegitimate breakaway province, and the two sides both argue they have inherited China's historic sovereignty over the islands, which are near rich fishing grounds and potentially huge oil and gas reserves.

[visionary]

http://www.reuters.com/article/2012/...88O02C20120925

Japan fires water cannon to turn away Taiwan boats

Japanese Coast Guard vessels fired water cannon to turn away about 40 Taiwan fishing boats and eight Taiwan Coast Guard vessels from waters Japan considers its own on Tuesday in the latest twist to a row between Tokyo and Beijing.

Japan protested to Taiwan, a day after it lodged a complaint with China over what it said was a similar intrusion by Chinese boats.

Sino-Japanese relations deteriorated sharply this month after Japan bought disputed East China Sea islands, called Senkaku in Japan and Diaoyu in China, from their private owner, sparking anti-Japan protests across China.

Taiwan has friendly ties with Japan, but the two sides have long squabbled over fishing rights in the area. China and Taiwan both argue they have inherited China's historic sovereignty over the islands.

Japanese Chief Cabinet Secretary Osamu Fujimura said the coast guard used water cannon and other measures to get the Taiwan ships to change course.

All the Taiwan fishing boats and coast guard ships had since left territorial waters, the Japanese Coast Guard said.

Japanese public broadcaster NHK showed footage of a Japanese Coast Guard ship shooting water at a Taiwan fishing boat, while a Taiwan patrol vessel blasted water at the Coast Guard ship in reply.

Um....
http://www.reuters.com/article/2012/...88O07020120925

China tells Japan it will not tolerate violations of sovereignty

China will not tolerate any violations of its sovereignty, Vice Foreign Minister Zhang Zhijun told his Japanese counterpart on Tuesday as the two met in a bid to ease tensions over a territorial dispute.

"China will never tolerate any unilateral actions by Japan that harm Chinese territorial sovereignty," Zhang told Japanese Vice Foreign Minister Chikao Kawai in Beijing, according to a statement posted on the Chinese Foreign Ministry's website.

"Japan must banish illusions, undertake searching reflection and use concrete actions to amend its errors, returning to the consensus and understandings reached between our two countries' leaders," Zhang said.

Zhang called the Japanese government's purchase of the islands "a grave trampling on historical facts and international jurisprudence".

[visionary]

http://ajw.asahi.com/article/behind_...AJ201209260067

INSIDE LOOK: Japan tried but failed to avert disaster in China dispute

The central government underestimated China's likely reaction to its Sept. 11 decision to purchase three disputed islands in the East China Sea and saw relations plummet despite a careful reckoning of the possible consequences.

Japanese officials drew up several dozens of scenarios for China's response, based on how Beijing handled a fishing boat collision with Japan Coast Guard vessels off the Senkaku Islands in 2010. China bore international criticism for penalties it imposed then, and Japan's government banked on a weak response from its Asian rival this time.

In an in-depth investigation, The Asahi Shimbun spoke to some of the central players in the diplomatic disaster.

Among the revelations: that the government felt it would be easier to act before China's impending leadership shakeup, and later to repair ties when Beijing's new leaders took power; and that Japan's government drew up—but shelved—possible plans to build on the islands.

On May 18, Noda summoned high-ranking government officials to an unpublicized meeting at the prime minister's office. He told them to prepare to purchase the islands from the private citizen who, under Japanese law, was the legal owner.

"Defending territory is fundamentally a government duty," Noda told them. "My government will fulfill the task, with a sense of responsibility."

Noda had been under pressure to decide what to do since April 16, when Tokyo Governor Shintaro Ishihara declared, in a speech in Washington, that the Tokyo metropolitan government intended to buy the islands.

However, Noda has instructed Defense Minister Satoshi Morimoto not to dispatch Self-Defense Force ships. "Just keep monitoring it, in the conventional way," he said.

Japan seems aware of the risk of escalation.

In talks with Luo Zhaohui, his Beijing counterpart, Shinsuke Sugiyama, head of the Asian and Oceanian Affairs Bureau of the Japanese Foreign Ministry said: "Japan and China will be in a serious situation if they cross the red line."

That red line means a situation that may require the use of force.

"This situation will last for a fairly long period," said one Japanese government official involved in the purchase decision. "Neither Japan nor China can change its stance. We must prepare ourselves for that."

https://twitter.com/mpoppel

REU: CHINESE FOREIGN MINISTER YANG JIECHI TELLS UN JAPAN 'STOLE' DISPUTED ISLANDS FROM CHINA
9:57 PM

Kyodo: Chinese FM says China has "territorial sovereignty" over Diaoyu Islands
10:21 PM

Kyodo: Japan "can in no way change the historical facts" on islands dispute: China FM at U.N.
10:21 PM

Kyodo: China urges Japan to "take concrete actions to correct its mistakes"
10:22 PM

[visionary]

Uh oh. Maybe not the best idea right now....

http://www.reuters.com/article/2012/...89307E20121004

Island plans by Tokyo's nationalist governor may stoke fresh China tensions

Tokyo Governor Shintaro Ishihara, a fiery nationalist whose failed bid to buy a group of disputed islands ignited a crisis with China, is pushing ahead with a plan to build structures there to hammer home Japan's claim, officials involved told Reuters.

Although such a move is not imminent, it would be certain to strain Japan's already shaky relations with China and could prompt a rebuke from the Obama administration, which has urged both sides to ease tensions by setting aside the dispute.

Ishihara's gambit appears aimed at forcing a new showdown in the island dispute with China. It is based on the view that Japan's main opposition -- the conservative Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) -- is likely to take power in an election in the coming months and that it would be receptive to his hard-line policies, two officials close to Ishihara said.

Akiko Santo, a member of the House of Councillors from the LDP, said Ishihara would try to win support from a new government to use about $19 million he has raised from contributors to build some basic infrastructure on the islands.