Chinese Escalation Policy

Government of Japan announced early Thursday morning that a vessel affiliated to Chinese Navy entered into the contiguous zone of Senkaku Islands. It was the first time that Japan recognized Chinese military vessel in that zone. In addition, three Russian military vessels passed the zone Wednesday night. Japanese government immediately protested against China. China raised the level of tension in East China Sea.

Basically, international maritime law admits any military ship to pass contiguous zone, set out of territorial waters. While China has been sending official vessels of coast guard around Senkaku Islands, it was new attempt to exercise military action.

According to Japanese Ministry of Defense, a destroyer of Japanese Navy, Setogiri, witnessed that a Chinese Jiangkai-I class frigate entered contiguous zone of Senkaku Islands 0:50 a.m. of Thursday. The vessel exited the zone 3:10 a.m. Russian destroyers passed contiguous zone between the two of Senkaku Islands 9:50 p.m. of Wednesday, leaving the zone 3:05 a.m. of Thursday. It is supposed that Russian vessels were on their way from military exercise in Southeast Asia.

Vice-Minister of Foreign Affairs, Akitaka Saiki, called Chinese Ambassador to Japan, Cheng Yonghua, to the ministry as early in the morning as 2 a.m. and expressed straightforward opposition against the behavior of China. “We have serious concern on the unilateral action of raising tension. We are decisively and composedly dealing with this issue with determination to defend our land, sea and air,” told Chief Cabinet Secretary, Yoshihide Suga. Prime Minister Shinzo Abe ordered close communication among related ministries, close communication with related foreign governments namely United States, and utmost surveillance. But, Japanese government did not make any action to Russia, which did not assert any sovereignty to Senkaku Islands.

It is likely that China has been waiting for the end of consecutive meetings by developed Western countries, namely Group of Seven Summit in Japan. Japan led the discussion of accusing China’s advance to South and East China Sea. In an action-to-action manner, China responded to that diplomatic pressure with making new fait accompli for assertion of Chinese dominium on Senkaku Islands.

Another purpose of China should be watching the response of U.S. While U.S. recognizes Senkaku Islands within the realm of Japan-U.S. Security Treaty Article 5, Obama administration has been showing reluctance to unintended military collision in Senkaku. Having calculated cool response of U.S., China asserted its own freedom of navigation, which has been a keyword for putting pressure on Chinese maritime advance.