China Sends Submarine to Senkaku

Ministry of Defense confirmed on Thursday that one Chinese frigate in Jiangkai II class, and one foreign submarine, which was supposed to be with Chinese Navy, were cruising in contiguous zone of Senkaku Islands of Japan for the first time. Although they did not invade Japan’s territory, the government of Japan strongly accused China of its unilateral raising of military tension. As seen in dealing with North Korean nuclear and missile issue, China looks like having no fundamental intention to eliminate tension in Northeast Asia.

A destroyer, Osumi, and a P3C surveillance aircraft with Maritime Self-defense Force confirmed the submarine going northwestward underwater of contiguous zone of Miyakojima Island Wednesday afternoon. After leaving the zone, the submarine entered contiguous zone of Taisho Island located in the eastern end of Senkakus Thursday morning. The frigate also appeared in the same zone of Taisho Island Thursday morning, which was witnessed by another MSDF destroyer.

United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea allows free navigation of foreign vessels in any contiguous zone, the rule which is basically set for preventing smugglings or illegal immigrants. Government of Japan did not order maritime security operation to MSDF. But it recognized the military action of China as unilateral challenge against sovereignty of Japan. “Our nation seriously concerns the action of raising tension. We will resolutely and calmly deal with it based on the notion of firmly protecting our territorial land, sea and air,” told Chief Cabinet Secretary Yoshihide Suga.

Japanese government immediately took diplomatic action. Vice-Minister for Foreign Affairs Shinsuke Sugiyama called over Chinese Ambassador to Japan Cheng Yonghua to his office and passed grave concern of Japan. Japanese Minister of Defense Itsunori Onodera told that he was seriously concerned on that unilateral action of raising tension.

China kept on asserting that Senkaku Islands were in the territory of China. Spokesman of Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs Lu Kang argued that a Chinese Navy vessel made tracking and surveillance on two Japanese Self-defense Force vessels in contiguous zone of China around Senkaku Islands. “There is no reason for us to be blamed of our action operated in the sea area close to our territory,” said Kang.

Japanese government accumulates analysis on why China has made that action in this timing of easing bilateral diplomatic tension. It is highly unlikely for captains of the frigate and the submarine to have made that decision independently. One possibility is that Chinese government tried to accumulate accomplished facts, while the world was focusing on North Korea. The big dragon in Asia often shows such behavior as a small thief would make.