“China is strongly dissatisfied with Japan’s 2016 defence white paper over its groundless accusations against China’s defence development and military activities”, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Hua Chunying said in a statement. The defense review noted China’s growing capability to threaten naval vessels with its growing armory of anti-ship missiles.
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“In this way we exercise our rights in accordance with global law, and we also protect the dignity of worldwide law”, Li said when calling the sovereignty issue a “red line” for China.
The warning came in a detailed explanation of last month’s Hague ruling, which found that China’s territorial claims in region have “no legal basis” under the U.N. Convention on the Law of the Sea.
The region’s superpower “continues to act in an assertive manner” and its actions “include risky acts that could cause unintended consequences”, Tokyo said in a defence white paper.
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Wu said the Chinese military has lodged solemn representations with Japan over the white paper. “He also asked to promote national defence education among the public”, said in the report.
The website on the South China Sea is complete with historical maps to assert China’s claims.
Chang’s remarks again raised the specter of a superpower confrontation between China and the United States, which has sent warships through the South China Sea to defend what it terms freedom of navigation in the region.
When asked if the Philippines will now fix its facilities in the Kalayaan Group of Islands, he said it is not yet a priority.
At 484 pages, Japan’s document is more than a tenth longer than last year’s report, and lays out other security concerns, such as the threat from neighboring North Korea’s ballistic missile and nuclear bomb programs and a revival of Russian military strength in the Far East.
He said Japan’s ultimate objective was large-scale changes to its military policy, increased arms and a revision of its pacifist constitution.
China’s Defence Ministry has angrily rejected accusations from Japan that the Chinese military is destabilizing the regional military balance by seeking to change the status quo in the East and South China Seas, accusing Japan of seeking to deceive the worldwide community and sow discord between China and its neighbours.
In short, if there is no nine-dash line, other territorial claimants in the South China Sea may be inspired to file lawsuits against China if Beijing refuses to compromise on access to the resource-rich waters.
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An unnamed SPC official said maritime courts across China have handled many maritime cases in recent years. China has rejected the award.
