Japan Strengthens Position in East China Sea

In order to further its intelligence capabilities around its borders, Japan has opened a radar station near a contested island in the East China Sea. The Japanese have established a Self Defense Force base on the island of Yonaguni, which is recognized as Japanese territory, is just 90 miles south of an island disputed between Japan and China.

The islands under dispute are called the Senaku islands in Japan and the Diaoyu islands in China. After the Sino-Japanese war, the islands were considered no man’s land by the Japanese, and they set their claims to the territory. Since there was no formal agreement, the Chinese have refuted the claim.

Both nations started to militarize the area after a Chinese fishing trawler intentionally rammed two Japanese Coast Guard vessels in 2010. Two years later, the Japanese began to buy some of the privately owned islands in the region, which prompted the Chinese to provoke the Japanese with air and naval exercises in the area.

Similar to the South China Sea, the East China Sea is home to valuable oil and natural gas. In 2008, both countries were able to reach an agreement on a joint development of East China Sea resources, but Japan has since accused China of tapping into its exclusive economic zone.

As expected, the Chinese criticized the Japanese radar station, calling upon the international community to stop Japanese military expansion in the East China Sea. This is ironic considering the Chinese have continued to expand their own military presence in the East and South China Sea despite criticism from neighboring countries and the U.S.

The Japanese are set to establish anti-aircraft and anti-ship missile batteries on more than 200 islands stretching between Japan and Taiwan, as well as increase its troop presence to 10,000 on these islands in the next five years. The Japanese have also announced they will increase their military spending by 1.5%, placing their budget at $41.8 billion.

Earlier this year China sent an advanced missile frigate into the East China Sea. The Type 054A frigate has a displacement of more than 4,000 tons, has long range surveillance and strong air defense capabilities. This move came as the Japanese were considering to send military aid to the Philippines in the South China Sea.

In 2013 China established an Air Defense Identification Zone (ADIZ). Foreign Affairs describes an ADIZ as “a publicly defined area extending beyond national territory in which unidentified aircraft are liable to be interrogated and, if necessary, intercepted for identification before they cross into sovereign airspace.” This establishment of an ADIZ allows China to expand it borders further than its internationally recognized borders. The ADIZ has been largely unrecognized by national governments, but its establishment alone illustrates China’s expansion goals.

Japan is the only force, other than the U.S., with the potential to deter further Chinese expansion. Countries like Vietnam and the Philippines do not have the military capability to alter Chinese action, so the U.S. has actively encouraged Japan to show strength in the region.