China, Japan stretch peace
pacts By Kosuke Takahashi
TOKYO - Asia's two giants, China and
Japan, are playing a dangerous game, each
indicating they are prepared to use force in
defense of islands they both claim as their own.
With a side glance at China expanding its
effective control of the disputed Paracel and
Spratly islands in the South China Sea, Japan has
been taking a stronger rhetorical stand against
Beijing to protect its own sovereignty.
Japanese Prime Minister Yoshihiko Noda on
July 26 said in the Diet (parliament) that if
necessary the Self-Defense Forces (SDF) can be
mobilized to defend the contested Senkaku/Diaoyu
Islands in the East China Sea, which are
controlled by Japan but
claimed by China and
Taiwan.
The following day, Defense
Minister Satoshi Morimoto also said that "action
by the SDF is secured by law in cases where the
Japan Coast Guard or police cannot respond" and
that sending the SDF to the uninhabited isles
would be "a reasonable measure" under the
country's legal framework.
Moreover,
Japan's 2012 Defence White Paper, published by the
Japanese Ministry of Defense on July 31, raised
strong concerns over China's military build-up,
especially its naval expansion. It pointed out for
the first time that "Chinese government ships have
also been observed, which were engaged in
monitoring activities for protection of its
maritime rights and interests. Moreover,
advancements to the Pacific Ocean by Chinese naval
surface vessels are being routinely conducted."
China didn't remain silent. On the same
day, Senior Colonel Geng Yansheng, a Chinese
defense ministry spokesman, quickly gave a
rebuttal by saying that "the Japanese authorities
have recently made a series of irresponsible
remarks regarding the Diaoyu islands ...
Safeguarding the nation's sovereignty and
[Chinese] maritime interests is the joint
responsibility of all state organs including the
military. We will work closely with the other
organs and conscientiously fulfill our duty."
This is a very big - and dangerous -
departure from the previous common principle that
both governments have shared, which is that the
two nations should refrain from the threat or use
of force against territorial integrity.
For example, specifically, Article 6 of
the Japan-China Joint Communique of 1972, signed
by then prime ministers Kakuei Tanaka and Zhou
Enlai, said as follows.
The Government of Japan and the
Government of the People's Republic of China
agree to establish relations of perpetual peace
and friendship between the two countries on the
basis of the principles of mutual respect for
sovereignty and territorial integrity, mutual
non-aggression, non-interference in each other's
internal affairs, equality and mutual benefit
and peaceful co-existence.
The two
Governments confirm that, in conformity with the
foregoing principles and the principles of the
Charter of the United Nations, Japan and China
shall in their mutual relations settle all
disputes by peaceful means and shall refrain
from the use or threat of force.
In
addition, Article 1 of the Japan-China Treaty of
Peace and Friendship of 1978 also confirmed
non-use of their militaries.
The Contracting Parties shall
develop relations of perpetual peace and
friendship between the two countries on the
basis of the principles of mutual respect for
sovereignty and territorial integrity, mutual
non-aggression, non-interference in each other's
internal affairs, equality and mutual benefit
and peaceful co-existence.
The
Contracting Parties confirm that, in conformity
with the foregoing principles and the principles
of the Charter of the United Nations, they shall
in their mutual relations settle all disputes by
peaceful means and shall refrain from the use or
threat of force.
While the rhetoric on
both sides seems a case of bluffing, implying that
force could be used appears to breach previous
pacts.
There is considerable argument over
who is responsible for the current state of
relations between Japan and China.
While
China has been accused of renewed assertiveness
over its territorial claims in recent years, it
was Japan that re-ignited a long-simmering
territorial dispute over the Senkaku/Diaoyu
islands in April.
Tokyo Governor Shintaro
Ishihara said the metropolitan government would
buy three of the Senkaku Islands' five main
islands from a private landowner. Driven by
Ishihara's populist campaign, Noda announced a
government plan to nationalize the three islands.
Observers say Noda has used the island
purchase plan to help buoy approval ratings, which
have plunged to a low of 22% since he took power
last September. The opposition Liberal Democratic
Party is threatening to call a no-confidence vote
on Noda, with political fortunes suffering over a
split within his ruling Democratic Party of Japan
related to his plan to double the sales tax to 10%
by 2015.
China's Foreign Ministry on July
7 called Japan's plan to nationalize the islands
"unlawful and invalid", saying "the Chinese
government will continue to take necessary
measures to firmly protect its sovereignty over
the islands."
This was not a bluff.
Beijing moved into action, sending three
government fishing patrol ships to
Japanese-claimed waters off the Senkaku Islands,
prompting Japanese Foreign Minister Koichiro Gemba
to lodge a "strong" protest with his Chinese
counterpart, Yang Jiechi.
For Tokyo, the
responsibility for the current tensions lies with
Beijing. Japanese vividly remember China's tactics
in the wake of similar territorial disputes,
including the temporary suspension of exports of
rare earths to Japan following a spat over the
Senkaku Islands in the fall of 2010.
China's approach to territorial disputes
in the South China Sea, particularly with Vietnam
and the Philippines, has also alarmed Japan.
China's Central Military Commission in
late July approved the deployment of a
division-level military garrison to "Sansha City"
on Woody Island - one of the Chinese-controlled
Paracel Islands - in the north of the contested
maritime region. The jurisdiction of "Sansha",
officially incorporated last month, covers the
entirety of China's claims in the South China Sea.
State-run newspaper Xinhua reported on
July 31 that the Sansha garrison is responsible
for "defense mobilization, militia reserves, the
relationship between the garrison and local
government as well as the city guard, support for
the city"s disaster rescue and relief work, and
direct militia and reserve troops in the city of
Sansha".
The stronger force
A
Chinese military official recently told
English-language state-run newspaper the Global
Times that the Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force
(JMSDF) is stronger than the People's Liberation
Army Navy. He also accused Japan of stirring up
the China threat while modernizing its army under
the patronage of the United States.
The
JMSDF is largely viewed as the second-strongest
destroyer navy in the world, surpassed only by the
US, as it boasts six Aegis-quipped destroyers and
two state-of-the-art helicopter carriers.
Quality is more important than quantity in
today's military world. Lacking high-tech warships
with the so-called Command, Control,
Communications, Computers and Integration (C4I)
System, China would struggle to win a naval battle
against Japan's forces. This means China is more
likely to be engaged in territorial disputes in
the South China Sea than the East China Sea in
coming years.
Ma"s
proposal Seemingly concerned as Japan and
China headed for an all-out confrontation,
Taiwanese President Ma Ying-jeou on August 5
proposed a peace initiative to address the
territorial disputes over the Senkaku Islands,
know in Taiwan as the Tiaoyutai Islands.
"We proposed the East China Sea Peace
Initiative to urge all sides to seriously face the
possible impact of this territorial dispute on the
peace and security of the East China Sea," Ma
said.
Ma called on all parties to refrain
from taking antagonistic actions, to shelve their
differences, to not abandon dialogue, to observe
international law and to resolve the dispute via
peaceful means.
Tokyo and Beijing in May
started a first session of talks on maritime
affairs to manage conflicts and properly handle
relevant issues, but the initiative is still in
its infancy. There remains much room for
improvement in accordance with Ma"s proposal.
As the territorial disputes fuel
nationalism and a "victim mentality" on both
sides, politicians and military officers are
exploiting the issue to boost their popularity and
power bases. Japan and China need to take swift
steps to break the spiral of mistrust. Otherwise,
the situation could deteriorate further,
delivering a blow to Asia's chances of being the
epicenter of global growth in the 21st century.
Kosuke Takahashi is a
Tokyo-based Japanese journalist. Besides Asia
Times Online, he also writes for IHS Jane's
Defence Weekly as Tokyo correspondent. His twitter
is @TakahashiKosuke
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