Japan slams China's actions in disputed sea

From ABS-CBN (Jun 4): Japan slams China's actions in disputed sea



Soldiers of the China's People's Liberation Army (PLA) Navy patrol near a sign in the Spratly Islands, in this photo taken on February 9, 2016. Reuters file photo

Japan is increasingly concerned about China's unilateral attempts to change the status quo in the West Philippine Sea (South China Sea,) Defense Minister Gen Nakatani said Saturday, stating no country can be an "outsider" when it comes to regional stability.

It was the Japanese government's clearest criticism of China's actions in the South China Sea, and came despite some recent improvements in the often-testy bilateral relationship.

 

In his speech at Asia's annual premier security forum, known as the Shangri-La Dialogue, in Singapore, Nakatani said he was "deeply concerned" over massive and rapid reclamation works, as well as the construction of outposts used for military purposes in some parts of the disputed sea.

"Such unilateral attempts to alter the status quo and consolidate such changes as faits accomplis considerably deviate from the maritime order based on the principles of the international community," he said.

Nakatani said those actions represent a "challenge" to the current rule-based global order.

He did not mention China by name when he spoke about major security challenges in the region, but it was obvious from the context that he was referring to its aggressive maritime actions over the last several years.

"We have two hands to entrust with our future. Which should we accept and enjoy -- the world of might makes right or that of the rule of law? The answer is obvious," he said.

"The peace and stability of the Asia-Pacific region underpin the prosperity of the whole international community, not just that of the region," he said. "Therefore, no country can be an outsider on the issue."

 

China claims almost the whole of the South China Sea, one of the world's most important shipping lanes, which is rich in fish and potential gas and oil reserves.

China has repeatedly criticized Japan and the United States, calling them outsiders, for what it sees as their meddling in its territorial disputes in the waters with smaller Asian claimants, including the Philippines, Malaysia and Vietnam.

Japan and the United States, which are not claimants, have said they do not take sides in the disputes, but they have a say in the freedom of navigation and overflight in the area and the current order based on the rule of law.

Nakatani also expressed concern over "some extremely dangerous behaviors" in international airspace in the region, following a case last month of what the United States said was an "unsafe" interception of one of its military reconnaissance aircraft by two Chinese fighters.

While China immediately rejected the claim and instead urged the United States to stop flying its military aircraft close to Chinese territory, the Japanese minister said, "As the security environment in this region is getting more and more challenging, it becomes more important for countries to fully observe the established international law."

"Especially, it is required for the major powers to exercise self-restraint in their actions in order to avoid any unexpected situation," he said.

 

In order to advance confidence-building measures, and maritime and airspace safety, Nakatani proposed holding additional meetings among Southeast Asian countries and their regional partners.

Japan's relations with China are not as bad as several years ago, when they were at their lowest ebb in many decades due to disputes over a small group of islands in the East China Sea and wartime issues.

The top political leaders of the two Asian powers have agreed to speed up the slow pace of mending fences and there has been increased communication between Tokyo and Beijing.

Nakatani did not forget to say that "our country is also concerned about unilateral behaviors in the East China Sea as they could escalate the situation."

But the most significant stumbling block for reconciliation in recent months has less to do with bilateral issues such as those pertaining to the Japanese-controlled, Chinese-claimed Senkaku Islands in the East China Sea than with differences of opinion on the South China Sea.

http://news.abs-cbn.com/global-filipino/world/06/04/16/japan-slams-chinas-actions-in-disputed-sea