China and Russia THREATEN Japan after ‘enforcing’ claim to South China Sea with military
MILITARY threats have been made by China and Russia towards Japan by sending aircraft and naval vessels into Japanese territory as the dispute over the South China Sea rages on.
By SAM SHOLL
Express.co.uk
Sun, Jan 28, 2018
Tensions have been rising as China has become more aggressive in its territorial claims in the South China Sea.
The Communist State has disputes with five separate countries over several islands and waters in the South China Sea that they claim to control.
At the heart of the feud between China and Japan is a dispute over the Senkaku Islands.
The Senkaku Islands are a group of uninhabited islands under Japanese control, but that are claimed by China.
Beijing calls the land the Diaoyu Islands.
Richard Weitz, a senior fellow and the director of the Center for Political-Military Analysis at the Hudson Institute, has explained that China wants “to enforce their claims” by ensuring foreign planes acknowledge its capability to control airspace and the waters of contested territory.
He also said that Russia is motivated by “monitoring US military activity in the country”.
Russia’s conflict with Japan also concerns the Kuril Islands.
The Kuril Islands were historically part of Japan and were taken by the USSR in the final days of the World War II.
Zack Cooper, a senior fellow for the Centre for Strategic and International Studies, has claimed that China are being prevented from being more bold by the the US-Japan alliance and the superiority of the Japan Self-Defence Forces (JSDF).
The US is obliged to defend Japan if it is ever attacked by a foreign nation.
Cooper said. “If the US-Japan alliance did not exist, the Chinese would be pushing much much harder.”
He also said: ”Both countries know that given the scale and pace of China’s military modernisation, it’s just a matter of time before China is able to outclass Japan in most areas of the military competition.”
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