China’s actions in the East China Sea may be an effort to deter its neighbors from working in concert against its interests, said Zhou Yongsheng, an global relations professor at the China Foreign Affairs University, especially after South Korea agreed to host a US anti-ballistic missile system called Terminal High Altitude Area Defense (Thaad). The recent CSIS report suggests that each of the new Chinese hangars could hold at least 24 fighter jets, as well as up to three or four large aircraft. “What-s-the-South-China-Sea-strategy” class=”local_link” target=”_blank”>ship conducted a patrol around the disputed Triton Island, as part of a strategy created to decrease tensions, the Monitor reported.
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In July, an arbitration court in the Hague ruled that China had no historic title over the busy waterway and had breached the Philippines’ sovereign rights with various actions there, infuriating Beijing, which dismissed the case.
Japan warned China Tuesday that ties were “deteriorating markedly” over disputed East China Sea islands as China’s envoy in Tokyo reiterated Beijing’s stance that the islets were its territory and called for talks to resolve the row.
Their confirmed presence in the South China Sea quashes China’s repeated claims it was never planning to militarise the region. The Philippines, Vietnam, Malaysia, Taiwan and Brunei have claims in the area, overlapping areas claimed by China.
The record number of Chinese patrol boats – 14 – has sailed near of the Senkaku Islands in the East China Sea, Japan Coast Guard said on Monday.
New satellite images appear to show reinforced aircraft hangers built on three islands in the disputed South China Sea, Reuters reports.
While Japan is not a claimant in that case it has pressed China to comply with an worldwide court ruling that denied its claims.
‘They are far thicker than you would build for any civilian goal, ‘ Gregory Poling, director of CSIS’s Asia Maritime Transparency Initiative, told the New York Times, which first reported on the new images.
Beijing has been increasingly assertive about waters it believes are Chinese. “They are reinforced to take a strike”.
Some analysts said the latest construction is an indication of China flexing its military might in the area.
Japanese media reports say the recent escalation in China’s activity around the disputed islands may be seen as a warning against planned visits by members of Prime Minister Shinzo Abe’s Cabinet to Tokyo’s Yasukuni Shrine, which honors war criminals among the war dead, for the August 15 anniversary to mark the end of World War II.
South Korea’s presidential office on Sunday rebuked China over its criticism of South Korea’s decision to deploy the anti-missile defence, urging China instead to play a stronger role against North Korea’s provocations.
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In the wake of a court of arbitration ruling on China’s sovereignty claims in the South China Sea, Japan has repeatedly demanded China accept the ruling and resolve territorial disputes peacefully.
