Large-scale war games in the South China Sea by Chinese and Russian naval forces included practice for taking over islands in the disputed waters and appear part of efforts by both states to counter the US pivot to Asia.
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The Chinese Foreign Ministry representative Lu Kang said the states from the region agreed that the problematic situation from the South China Sea must be solved through an official meeting between the two parties.
“China is resolute in its determination to protect its sovereignty and maritime interests”.
Last week, Japanese Defense Minister Tomomi Inada said that Japan would increase engagement in the disputed waters, to support USA attempts to impose freedom of navigation patrols in the region.
Spokesman Lu Kang’s comments came after Japanese Defense Minister Tomomi Inada said Thursday in Washington that she strongly supports US freedom of navigation operations in the South China Sea and vowed to increase engagement in the waters.
Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe (front R) and Defense Minister Tomomi Inada (front L) review an honor guard at the Defense Ministry in Tokyo on September 12, 2016.
Japan is a key USA ally, and is boosting defence ties with the Philippines and other Southeast Asian nations that have their own territorial disputes with Beijing over the South China Sea. However, China has continued to denounce interference in the South China Sea dispute by the United States and Japan, insisting that the waters belong to them and that the issue should be resolved through talks between the countries directly involved. Last week, China sailed four coastguard vessels into that contested region, sparking complaints from Japan that the Asian giant was escalating tensions.
Japan has no territorial claims in the sea, known for its maritime trading importance and vast oil and gas reserves.
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“China-Japan conflict is not isolated, as Japan and the USA stand by each other in a complicated strategic game”. Washington, in turn, accuses Beijing of carrying out what it calls a land reclamation program in the South China Sea by building artificial islands in the disputed areas.
