1/02/2015

Arms Race in East China Sea

The reason why Prime Minister Shinzo Abe led the decision of exercising collective self-defense right was to protect life and property of people in Japan. After he made it last July, situation has not shown stability anyway. Moreover, military posture of Japan and China looks to be active in preparing possible collision. Not actually in a situation of cold war, situation between those two can be described as arms race.

A few days before Christmas, news reports revealed China’s gradual concentration of arms in small islands 300 kilometers northwest of Senkaku Islands. They are one hundred kilometers closer to Senkaku than Okinawa where major military bases of Japan and United States stations. People’s Liberation Army has already built brand new radar and is constructing heliport. There also is a plan for laying runway for military aircrafts. Military company landed on the island for settling internet system last fall. It is said that Chinese Army, Navy and Air Force will settle in the future.

To deal with expansion of Chinese maritime capability, Japanese Maritime Self-defense Force is going to upgrade its capability of engagement. It is installing new system of sharing information for identifying enemy’s missiles and immediately striking them on Aegis vessels being built this year. Aegis vessel is to protect aircraft carrier with computer system to share information. With this system, Japanese Self-defense Force and U.S. Force can reinforce interoperability against their common enemy. It is possible that Japanese force will shoot down a missile based on information provided by U.S. Force.

Support of U.S. Force is indispensable for Japan’s security. To improve its ability for combat service support for U.S. Force, Japanese government is considering permanent legislature for it. Although it passed temporary law to dispatch self-defense force to the wars in Afghanistan or Iraq, permanent law will make those kinds of action easier than ever. That will be another step beyond the principle of defense-leaning security concept of Japan. The activities will include sanction against country that violates resolution of United Nations or anti-terrorism coalition led by U.S.


It is reported that China deleted the regulation from their international flight information of urgent measures against aircraft in their asserted air defense identification zone set on East China Sea. Some may try to understand that it is an attempt to abide by international rule of aviation. But it was a measure of private aviation bureau of Chinese government. As long as seeing active moves around Senkaku, Chinese military should be recognized as enhancing its surge in East China Sea.

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