Japan Slams China Over Maritime Issues
Japan has accused China of being assertive over maritime issues, taking actions that effectively amount to a "fait accompli", reports Strait Times.
In its 484-page annual defence white paper on Tuesday (Aug 2), the defence ministry said the aggressive actions by China could "cause unintended consequences", referring to past incidents including one where a China naval frigate entered Japan's contiguous zone this year, near a crop of islets in the East China Sea that has been claimed by both countries.
The report called China’s reclamation moves in the South China Sea a provocation, and urged Beijing to accept a recent international arbitration ruling.
It said China’s escalating activity in the East China Sea caused Japan to scramble against Chinese warplanes more than 570 times last year.
The islets, known as Senkaku in Japan and Diaoyu in China, have been a constant flashpoint between both countries in recent years.
"Recently, China has been intensifying activities near the Senkaku islands such as its military aircraft flying southward closer to the islands," said the defence paper.
The report said China has stepped up activity around Japan—controlled islands that Beijing also claims, adding that a Chinese warship entered a strip of water just outside Japanese claimed waters in the area.
China’s actions over conflicting maritime claims are unilateral and high-handed, and some of them are “dangerous actions that could trigger unanticipated situations,” the report said. “They raise strong concern about what may happen in the future.”
Beijing didn’t immediately respond to a request for comment.
