Surveillance in Yellow Sea

To implement United Nations Security Council resolutions for the sanction against North Korea, Maritime Self-defense Force of Japan started patrol and surveillance on both sides of Korean Peninsula. Their purpose is to prevent smuggling oil products by reloading from foreign vessels to North Korean ships in the high seas. It is the first time for JSDF to be engaged with an international operation for implementing UNSC resolution.

It has been reported that China was helping smuggling of oil products, which was actual breaching of UN sanction. Yomiuri Shimbun revealed on the new year’s day that Chinese company was helping the smuggling by Russian company in Japan Sea. The Chinese company offered North Korea a tanker to receive refined oil from Russia or mediate money transfer between North Korea and Russian company. Their contract document proved that the smuggling started June 2017. According to the document, they had a contract to send annual 100 thousand metric tons of fuel for diesel engine to North Korea.

New activity of MSDF around Korean Peninsula was defined by Japanese government as “patrol and surveillance to grasp moves of ships in the sea surrounding Japan.” Although MSDF vessels have no power to coercively inspect foreign ships, it can be regarded as supporting for police activities of Japan Coast Guard. UNSC demands its member countries confiscation or inspecting the ships, which is rationally doubtful of loading prohibited goods.

It is possible that MSDF activity in Yellow Sea, located on the western side of Korean Peninsula, will cause frustration of China. Japanese government unilaterally decided that the surveillance was needed in Yellow Sea. Sharing operation with United States Navy in Yellow Sea and Japan Sea, MSDF is sending obtained information of the vessels in the area to US Force. It is also possible that Japan will report the situation in foreign ministers meeting on North Korean issue in Vancouver, Canada, next Tuesday.

Along with rising tension in the peninsula, military operation of China is recently getting active. Japanese Ministry of Defense reconfirmed on Friday that the submarine passed in the contiguous zone of Senkaku Islands on Thursday was from China. The submarine appeared on the surface of East China Sea and raised Five-star Red Flag of China. It is possible that China recognizes the activity of MSDF in Yellow Sea as a counter measure not against North Korea but China. Improvement of bilateral relationship between Japan and China may be disturbed by military counteractions.