What are Japan and South Korea's concerns about neighboring China? 0
(Dan Tri) – China invades the East Sea, claiming sovereignty over the waters of Malaysia and Indonesia.
“China is urgently modernizing its navy”
Japan’s 2011 Defense White Paper has expressed the clearest ever concerns about China, which is rushing to modernize its navy and expand its hegemony in the East and South China Seas.
The White Paper was approved by Prime Minister Naoto Kan’s cabinet at a time when tensions in territorial disputes between the island nation and neighboring countries are increasing.
The White Paper praises the `friendship campaign` conducted jointly with the United States in the area affected by the March 11 disaster and Japan’s close relationship in the military alliance with the United States.
The White Paper affirms that China’s behavior in recent times shows its ambition to `dominate`.
Japan-China relations have been tense many times due to sovereignty disputes in the East China Sea.
China also considers this uninhabited island chain under its sovereignty and calls it the Diaoyu archipelago.
Regarding the East Sea, Tokyo attaches great importance to this sea area and the safety of commercial shipping activities requires stability here.
Mr. Ken Jimbo, visiting professor at Keiko University, Japan, commented that China’s military, fisheries, maritime, and coast guard forces will not change their stance, as they have done in the past.
`Japan needs to pay attention to developments in the East Sea file and should develop cooperation and help countries such as Indonesia, Vietnam, and the Philippines in the fields of coast guard and ports,` Japanese experts said.
“Asia lost faith…”
According to Korean scholars, quoted by the Korea Times, China’s encroachment in the East Sea and the East China Sea, using the reasons of `geological theory beyond the continental shelf` and
The East China Sea and the South China Sea are not oceans, but a sea divided between many neighboring countries.
“It is ridiculous and imperialist for China to declare its sovereignty like that,” Korea Times wrote.
Furthermore, China also claims sovereignty over the waters of Malaysia and Indonesia and confronts Japan in the East China Sea over oil and gas exploitation in Senkaku Island.
Most recently, China entered Korean waters or intervened in rescue operations when Korean workers were salvaging a commercial coal ship that sank within the median line of the sea.
China has asked South Korea to ask for permission when salvaging the ship.
According to Korean analysts, conflicts between China and some countries on territorial and maritime issues will continue, because Beijing will not give up its sovereignty claims and seeks to expand its presence.
“Asia has lost trust in China and is afraid that China, with its territorial ambitions, will still pursue the search for undersea mineral resources,” the Korea Times concluded, adding that in order to counter
