3 Chinese surveillance vessels entered Japanese waters near Senkakus

Posted on February 28, 2013 by Cherrie Lou Billones in National with 30 Comments
3 Chinese surveillance vessels entered Japanese waters near Senkakus

The Japan Coast Guard said that three Chinese maritime surveillance ships entered territorial waters near the Senkaku Islands early today. The vessels were said to have sailed into the waters a little after 7 a.m. and left only at around 9:20 a.m. A couple of Chinese fisheries patrol vessels were also seen traveling in the contiguous zone outside Japan’s territorial waters.

According to the 11th Regional Coast Guard Headquarters in Naha, Okinawa Prefecture, when they warned the vessels not to proceed further into Japanese waters, one of them made a radio call saying that the Senkakus are Chinese territory since ancient times. The three ships then went on to sail in the contiguous zone. The director general of the Japanese Foreign Ministry’s Asian and Oceanian Affairs Bureau, Shinsuke Sugiyama, immediately phoned the Chinese minister-counselor to Japan, Han Zhiqiang, to protest the act. Han merely reiterated China’s claim over the lands.

In another twist of events, a fishing cooperative in southwestern Japan’s Kagoshima Prefecture revealed today that two Chinese ships tracked at close range two Japanese fishing boats from Ibusuki city in waters near Uotsuri Island, the largest of the Senkakus, sometime in early February. The two fishing boats thereafter gave up fishing in the area as the Chinese vessels sailed worryingly close to them for a good six hours.

[via Channel News Asia]
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  • Far East

    Bah the same thing over and again. The world will never side with those bullies. Those officials at this Chinese Government need to get into their skull that sailing ain’t owning!!

    They’re just wasting kerosene, that’s all :-)

  • http://www.facebook.com/jamesobh James Ong

    China has every right to patrol the waters and airspace of Diaoyu/Senkaku Islands as the islands belong to her.
    According to Meiji era documents unearthed by Nicholas Kristof of the New York Times, in 1885, Japan acknowledged China as the owner. It seems pretty clear from the documents that Japan effectively stole the islands as spoils of war in 1895. (http://kristof.blogs.nytimes.com/2013/01/05/chinas-new-leader-and-the-islands-dispute/)

    And, the Potsdam Declaration says particularly that the territories of China which were occupied by Japan before WW2 must return to China.

    And so, from any angle, be it from history or international law, clearly, Diaoyu/Senkaku Islands belong to China. Consequently, not even US and Japan, by virtue of 2013 Defense Authorization Act, can deprive China of Diaoyu/Senkaku Islands.

    • Far East

      LOL. I read this article too, and the document it refers to does in now way states the Japanese recognized ownership by the Qing empire over the islands. The author even writes: “China seemed to acquiesce to Japanese sovereignty between 1945 and 1970″. Those documents this article refers to merely states what even now the Japanese recognizes as historical fact ( http://www.mofa.go.jp/region/asia-paci/senkaku/fact_sheet.html ), i.e. that there was a tense political situation at that time (remember there was so after the sino-Japan war and the Shimonoseki Treaty in 1895), and the document highlight the prudence of the Japanese Government at that time in this tight political context.

      Sorry to break your dreams.

      There has been the Treaty of San Francisco signed in 1951 by 50 nations making and recognizing what Japan is today, and even with Taiwan with the Treaty of Taipei signed in 1952. The Postdam Declaration of 1945, made at gun point was rather nothing more than what it says, ie a declaration, but China uses this only because it is convenient rather than because it is incomplete and biased historical data.

      As for the history on the Senkaku, the Chinese Government is trying to refer to some historical documents that mention those islands as a marker in their route to the Ryukyu (Okinawa, part of Japan), but emissary from China at the time used that route only 23 times during 507 years while the Ryukyu people went to China using their route 580 times from 1372 to 1879…. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gnlr_OBN2uw

      And they should have the honesty of recognizing their true agenda, which is to seize the underground resources those Senkakus islands have. That’s right, a United Nations Economic Commission for Asia and the Far East (ECAFE) (http://www.unescap.org) report in 1969 stated there is a strong possibility for petroleum and natural gas to be under those islands. Foreign estimates of potential oil reserves on the shelf have gone as high as 100 billion barrels. (Saudi Arabia has “proven and probable” oil reserves of 261.7 billion barrels and the United States 22 billion). The following year, China started claiming the Senkaku islands as theirs.

      The most promising area identified was “a 200,000 square kilometer area just north of Taiwan, or almost exactly the location” of the Senkaku islands. See K.O. Emery et al., Geological Structure and Some Water Characteristics of the East China Sea and the Yellow Sea, 2 UNECAFE/CCOP TECH. BULL. 3 (1969). A copy of the ECAFE report is available here: http://www.gsj.jp/data/ccop-bull/2-01.pdf

      The report concludes on page 41 “A high probability exists that the continental shelf between Taiwan and Japan may be one of the most prolific oil reservoirs in the world.”
      Talk about hypocrisy….

      Bottom line, it was legally terra nulls, ie no proven trace of being inhabited or controlled, Japan rightfully integrated it in its territory. China did not care, because they had better things to do at the time, Subsequently the Chinese Government did not care either and even there are official communist China map showing those islands as Japanese: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:PRCmap-senkakuislands.jpg

      Source: Wikipedia. Section of 1969 map published by the People’s Republic of China, showing and identifying the “Senkaku Islands” as Japanese territory.

      This map was revealed by the Washington Time: http://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2010/sep/15/inside-the-ring-145889960/

      It is now under the effective sovereignty and control of Japan, and there is nothing that China can do about it. Legally speaking Judge Max Huber of the International Court of Justice (ICJ) stated that the key aspect for the establishment of a State sovereignty is the “continuous and peaceful display of territorial sovereignty” (The Netherlands v U.S.A. ‘Island of Palmas Case’ [1928] ICJ V II 839). This fits well with the current code of conduct of Japan with regards to its reaction to the threats made to its sovereignty.

      That’s the ugly truth. Enjoy.

    • makarov Lastov

      china is stupid and idiot claiming sovereignty based on history. You know what, china should belong to mongolia since it conquered by genghis khan.
      Just say it, you are greedy and bully and this attitude shows how arrogant and irresponsible china is become.
      Your official kept on saying that let’s kill one of them, and the rest will follow!!! How stupid it is that?

      • fore seti

        WIth out the UK and the US China would be fluent in Japanese now. We gave those islands to them, if China has a problem with it – bring it to the courts baby.

        • Taiwanese

          You really lack history knowledge.

          Let’s assume Japan successfully occupies China now, do you think the national language is Japanese? I am afraid that even majority of Japanese speak Chinese now.

          Please learn from History and take a look of Yuan And Qing Dynasty before writing your utter nonsense.

          • Truth

            Fore Seti could actually be correct and it is no nationalistic shame to admit it.

            To study history, you have to be detached from nationalistic interests.

            Without the military support of the US and the economic sanctions of its government, the Japanese Army would have quickly finished off any official resistance. The European Imperialists could not have supported any defence in China while fighting a war in Europe and would have given them up quickly as it did.

            When you look at a map of the Japanese Empire, it is amazing who big it was and they already controlled the main cities and ports.

            I saw some once predict the outcome of WWII if it had gone in the opposite direction and they proposed the following map (this is neither serious history nor my position on the matters).

            An interesting question to ask though is, would the people of China have been better off for Japanese rule and my answer to that is yes, without a doubt. Chinese society today would have been far more advanced, fewer would have died during Mao’s genocidal period, it’s society would have been far more equal, and there would have been more regional autonomy.

            English, however, would still have become the dominant language of the world. Mandarin is too archaic and cumbersome (Japanese is also too problematic to become an important world language).

            I think we’re all becoming mostly Americans.

          • Taiwanese

            You are talking nonsense.

            First Japanese don’t have that capacity to conquer whole China even when China was in the weakest period and Japan in the strongest. In short, Japan don’t have the skill to rule such a big, complex country.

            Second, let’s assume that Japan rules China. Which city will become her Capital? Within 30 years, through immigration and interaction the national Capital will still stay in China and the second generation, third generation Japanese who are born in China will gradually become face the same destiny like Mongols and Manchu and be assimilated into a new culture.

            Third, if you insist that Tokyo will still be the great empire’s Capitol and China is the vast colony waiting for you to be exploited then I have to say that Chinese will be much worse off than today. My evidence is India. Who gives you the confidence that you can rule better than GB?

            But I will have to agree the last point of yours, English or you may call Chinlish have a brighter future.

          • Truth

            I don’t believe China would have been exploited as a colony. I believe China would have taken a shortcut to industrial develop, wealth, democracy and human rights without having to suffer all of Mao’s purges and catastrophes, and be in the mess it is in now.

            Certainly places like Tibet would never have suffered what they suffered.

            Have you ever looked at a map of China dated around 1939?

            Japan owned all the best and most important bits of China; Shanghai, Peking, Nanking, Hong Kong, Canton and all the way around the coast to Hainan. Needless to mention Manchu, Menghang and so on.

            There wasn’t much any that was worth having left and if it was not for the meddling and military supplies of the USA and Russia, there were no forces in China to defend it.

            What give me confidence?

            The evidence of Japanese society before and after, and the rapid and positive developments that happened in Taiwan and Korea. Even to this day there is a far greater parity (financial equality within society) in Japan than in other nations. Japan is a far more peaceful, civil, orderly, safe, polite and developed nation. Unlike the British, the Japanese were not of a different race and were far more closely related. In many ways the quality of life in Japan is better than life in the UK.

            The question you are really asking is, “could Japan have won the peace after the way and handled the all the corruption, the warlords and any guerilla response?”. Well, I suppose at that point Japan’s toughness would have stepped in and they probably would have used Koreans against any resistance and to enforce law and order.

            The Chinese people’s problem was not the Japanese, it was their own rulers and elite. They mistake the brutality and egocentricity of their own rulers for Japanese rulers and Japanese rulers were of an entirely different nature. Society was of a much closer and equal and ethical nature.

            If old China had had its old despotic and corrupt rulers and their systems removed, and the Chinese people’s quality of life raised to that of the Japanese people, China would be a perfect place to live in unlike it is now. No one would have wanted to leave and Asia would be united as one.

          • Taiwanese

            You must be dreaming and constantly stared at your 1939 map.

            I agree only one point in your post that China needs not corrupt and despotic rulers.

            Why I have confidence to say so? Just take Taiwan as an example, having ruled Taiwan for 50 years, you know what is the evaluation about Japan from Taiwanese. It’s ＂有禮無體＂ it means that Japanese have manners by appearance but in essence no decent behavior.

            You tend to mix up the reality with your imagination. Japan has been ruled Taiwan for 50 years, let’s examine one by one :

            Politically Taiwan was still under authoritian rule compared to Japanese, Taiwanese has much limited political right and there are no political freedom of expression and assembly neither. Can you kindly give us a figure how many people were killed because of resistance to the Japanese rule? Horrible to say the least! You mentioned Tibet, Japan at least killed one quarterth of Taiwanese aboriginals only because they were against Japanese rule and you claimed Tibet will be much better? Shame on you!

          • Truth

            Actually, the real figure of deaths was about 0.5% of the population and you have to ask who was arming the resistance and why.

            Taiwan was legally given to Japan, it did not go and conquer it. There were no grounds for a terrorist resistance.

            It as a model colony for Japan who invested hugely into the infrastructure, building schools and educating the people (school enrolment rates were among the 2nd highest in Asia), it built roads railways, hospitals and put in utilities. It’s population doubled and life expectancy increased. It quashed opium addiction, banned foot binding, the arts, cinema and literature flourished. Taiwanese were educated at Japanese universities.

            If you study the history of the aboriginals, problems started when innocent shipwrecked Japanese were attacked by them. Even the Qin Dynasty admitted they were beyond their assimilation.

            They were literally at the head hunting stage of evolution and killed Japanese and ethinic Chinese a like.

            What would you do if you lived on an island of head hunters?

            Eventually what Japan managed to do was assimilate them (they became pro-Japanese) and the martial elements within them prove to be very loyal and brave soldiers.

          • Taiwanese

            You are not honest again.

            Can you refute my argument in three aspects individually (politically, economically and culturally) instead of repeating the infrastructure investment crap. Let me say this again to you : Taiwan doesn’t owe Japan anything.

            Taiwanese aboriginals were slaughtered by the Japanese along with divide and conquer technique. Compared to Japanese treatment towards Taiwan aboriginals, Mao Zedong was 100 times nicer towards Tibetans.

          • Truth

            No, Japan wanted to make Formosa a model colony and show the world what it was capable of. Consequently, it went to great lengths to be seen to do good.

            I think if you look at history, it was actually the Dutch and Chinese who used “divide and conquer” techniques on the “seiban” while the Japanese actually managed to finally unite the various tribes. The Republic of Taiwan had previously been led by a collection of Qing officials who sought only to make themselves rich. Before them, Ching dynasty had cheated, coerced and forced many of the tribes out of their lands. The Chinese did not even control more than 50% of the Island.

            Before you claim 100 times, do you actually know what the Red Army did to the monks and nuns and Buddhists of Tibet?

            Let’s see now. The aboriginal tribes were headhunters who killed indiscriminately, cut the heads of their victims, boiled them and then hung them up to dry. They would also often capture the children of their victims and enslave them into their tribes (Han and Taiwanese too).

            And who was supplying them arms and ammunition, and why, despite China being forced to give up the island by a legal agreement?

            Japan actually carried out ethnographic and anthropological studies of the tribes, and were encouraged to maintain harmless tribal costumes and customs, were educated and such was the tribes respect for the Japanese that many actually volunteer to fight for Japan in WWII.

            During the battles of resistance 14,000 Taiwanese lost their lives (0.5%) whereas 200,000 – 400,000 Taiwanese – including 4,000 Aborigines – served as voluntary soldiers or paid laborers for Japan during the war. Those families claiming for death were also compensated by the Japanese government.

            Put it into context, the tough Japanese reprisals only happened after, firstly, the murder of shipwrecked civilians and, secondly, when Seediq warriors attack an event at an elementary school killing 134 Japanese, including women and children. And it was actually other indigenous groups, working with the Japanese authorities, who were known to attack villages to kill their old enemies.

            Nothing like the ethnic cleansing and genocides in Tibet happened.

            Perhaps you would like to discuss Han Chauvinism under the KMT and compare their treatment of the tribes?

          • Taiwanese

            If you can’t refute my argument on the three respects (politically, economically and culturally ) and still daydreamed and claimed that China will be better off under Japanese rule. Then you are morally and intellectually disgusting.

            Actually through discussion I discover a trait from you which I am not too sure it’s Japanese genes or not. That’s always try to beautify something ugly(aggression and colonialism) while plays victim under the conquerer.

            When you accuse the Koreans you invaded and colonized as tax evasion, yakuza activities and prostitution and cried foul that “It’s unfair to the Japanese”. You seem quite at ease that American are enjoying your prostitution (as some commenters point out for free in many cases), tax. Facility and billing exemption and didn’t dare say a word in front of Americans. Perhaps it is a very well footnote the Taiwanese gives to you. 有禮無體 ! Understand?

          • Taiwanese

            Let me take a look here hmmm…..

            “Liberate Asia from white invasion and aggression…….Japan had already secured Manchuria against the ambition of the Soviet Union and freed most of China from Anglo-American exploitation. The next step was to assist Thailand, Indochina, and the Philippines in becoming independent..”

            Quote from a class A Japanese criminal who’s ashes was in the Yasukuni Shrine.

            How come your (Truth)attitude towards Whites takes 180 degree turn but your attitude towards Asia remains the same?

          • Redcliff

            @ Taiwanese

            ” How come your (Truth) attitude towards Whites takes 180 degree turn but your attitude toward Asia remains the same”

            I think we can label Japan’s attitude as Prejudice.

          • Redcliff

            @ Truth

            I have been to Taiwan and to Japan, Many parts of the old urban area streets are like Japan extremely narrow and with great difficulty to have two cars passing through. This form of infra structure is very short sighted and without giving future development and expansion of the area in its planning scheme. This could not be the model colony that you are referring to I hope. It fails in every aspect in terms of town planning. Not to mention rubbish collection by waste truck. They have great difficulty to get around.

          • Redcliff

            @ Taiwanese

            I do agree with you. Japan only invest the minimum amount and expect a large return to its investment. It applied this strategy outside Japan but I am not sure whether they do the same in their own country.

          • Whirled Peas

            I’m sorry and surprised to hear you say that Taiwanese have an inferiority complex in this day and age. I do understand about effects of colonialism, but sometimes one can have “subjective lag,” i.e. our perceptions of the world or ourselves lag behind the new reality. I have had the good fortune to interact with many smart people from Taiwan — sharp thinkers and speakers, with a nice manner too. Let’s see . . . nope, definitely not an inferior product..

          • Taiwanese

            It’s because Taiwan is still under Chinese rule for the past 68 years.

            India has many sharp thinkers and excellent scholars etc but inferiority complex still exist, in my opinion, it’s the weakest part if India wants to catch up.

            Are we discussing individuals or collective minds? You have to define it correctly.

          • Whirled Peas

            Just saying the Taiwanese I know (limited sample size) are definitely not inferior people. I have not done a scientific psychosocial survey.

          • fore seti

            Totally agree with this one: “有禮無體”, it means that Japanese have manners by appearance but in essence no decent behavior.

            Japanese are very ethnocentric, however one can travel the world over (and I have) there is no group more ethnocentric than Chinese. Whether it is in the US with ABC’s, or in the UK with BBC’s, or even with younger Hong Kongese. Anytime China is questioned it becomes this big deal. I do not see this in Taiwan, Taiwanese people are proud of their country, their progress, and their people. Maybe I just spend too much time in Taipei so it’s not a fair to compare. But to shrug off Japanese contributions to Taiwan and say they are unfounded is simply not opening your eyes.

            Any uneducated foreigner can take a flight from Haneda to Taoyuan and they will immediately see the similarities. It’s very subtle things, for instance the taxi’s in Taiwan (compare to HK/BJ/Tokyo), or even the signage in TW. The manners of the people, cleanliness, having returned recently, I was with a bunch of retires from the Mainland traveling through Taiwan in passport control and I ‘gotta’ tell ya’. Taiwanese are a different group of people, is it because of the Japanese – not entirely I am sure. Was there some effect on Taiwan because of the ‘rule?’ Absolutely, no doubt, any Asia traveler will tell you that. Could it be in large part because they are both island nations? Could be.. Interesting comments though for sure.

          • Taiwanese

            It’s a pity you don’t understand Chinese language. If you do, you go to several Chinese web sites and you will discover that Chinese views are getting plural.
            I feel very strange that no one has done the survey but I guarantee to you, Percentage of liberals in China may exceed Japan especially among intellectuals.

            I am glad you feel the hospitability in Taiwan. No doubt Taiwan is different and
            many mainland Chinese think they find a place where Chinese culture better preserved in Taiwan. If you compare the level of Chinese language among China, HK and Taiwan in my generation, you will find Taiwanese has the highest level of the language.

            Yes, You can feel that Japanese culture influence is here in many ways if you go to “love hotel” and the counter will ask you in Taiwanese pronunciation similar to Tokyo love hotel. :-)

            What I am saying is that Japanese culture and Chinese culture is here I see both in good and bad terms. But make no mistake about it, Taiwan’s development under Japanese rule really wasn’t that great as some of the Japanese alleged.

          • fore seti

            Thanks for your positive feedback, your hospitality here is much like what I see in Taiwan. However, I did not even realize there were “rabu hoteru’s” in Taipei. I am generally at the “Woo Bar” in the W at night, that’s as much as I can handle these days.

            I certainly agree with what you say. Particularly when you talk to Taiwanese they do have kind of a mixed feeling toward Japanese especially the ones that work for or with Japanese firms (and Mainlanders for that matter). Like I said I have been all over, and I don’t feel as welcome anywhere like in Taiwan. If you are in the Woo Bar some night and see a guy reading a book under a bar light outside – say hi, it could be me.

          • Redcliff

            @ Truth

            There are some interesting points you threw up for discussion purpose and some could be interesting to delve in,

            There is only one comment I like to bring to your attention. If China would have under the dominant of Japan now as you have commented I would be very worry not so much of the ordinary Japanese people who are very decent people but the incredible mess up of economy by successive Japanese Government.

            Compare to China now in terms of economy management you must be envy that Japan’s economy was not managed by China or follow the pathof China.

          • Truth

            How could anyone be envious? China is 10 times the size of Japan in population and yet has just crawled it way above Japan.

            The scale of its economic activity bears little relationship to the living standards and quality of life of its people, the increasing inequalities and lack of human rights etc.

            That scale is largely dependent on its generous natural resources, not the wisdom of its leaders, therefore if Japan was to be envious of anything, it would be envious of the quantity of land and those natural resources.

            Positions in economic league tables mean nothing. China is a huge bubble and heading to a huge burst.

            Japan is 4% the land mass of China and a relatively poor 4% too (3% of that is mountains, so only 1% is usable.

            If I was an investor, I’d respect a company that took 1 Dollar (Japan) and turned it into 100 Dollars; than a gang who took 1,000 USD and turned that into 102 USD — by giving the other 900 to its family members and enforcers which is China/the CPC.

            By the same equation, Taiwan is also a far better bet.

          • Redcliff

            @ Truth

            Tell me Truth how many years now is Japan in deflation and tell me when was the last time that Japan economy had a decent growth.

          • fore seti

            One has to look no further than Taipei to see what a country with a fairly symbiotic relationship with Japan looks like. Compare Taipei to any Chinese city (not a SAR), I dare you. If you are from Taiwan you should know this, I have spent plenty of time in China, SARs, Taiwan and Japan – it is literally night and day. So much so that folks in the SARs often tell you (as a foreigner) when you are doing business in the region many HK folks will tell you almost ashamed not to go into GZ, or SZ.

            Anyway that is neither here nor there, if China are bringing it to the courts I definitely welcome an outcome. My position or point here is not to stir nationalistic emotions. I don’t have a position either way, but I do feel that Japan currently has administrative control on those isles. As the US General said in China this very week, that the US has certain “obligations” they are bound to. Why? Well let me tell you why, because the US and her Allies fought the Japanese and lost a lot of people so that people in greater Asia would not be forced to live under Japanese rule. After that the US disarmed Japan and agreed to defend the island nation. Is this statement incorrect? Do we think as armchair comment debaters that without the Allies China would have mounted a massive offensive and driven the Japanese out? Highly unlikely at that time.

            Back to my original comment, I apologize if you took it literally I was simply trying to impress the gravity of the situation. One could theorize all day long, if Japan was unopposed in SE Asia and collected the natural resources required. If they had empowered the people they occupied to create efficient work forces. If the generals in the field had lost complete contact with Tokyo and were performing their heinous crimes in China, Korea, etc. without the big brass really knowing what was going on.

            Let’s hope that China is successful with the UN, I will definitely try to find some info on that complaint and try to keep track. Thank you for the suggestion. If China does come out on top, let’s hope Germany follows and tries to get back Prussia, or perhaps Rome can re-organize and say “hey, we ruled Europe.*!” Or maybe even the Tibetans can finally have a say, Chinese wisdom is in a class of its own, but they could perhaps be opening up Pandora’s box with their aggression based on the need to keep the rich and powerful, well rich and powerful.

        • Redcliff

          @ fore seti

          You have missed some recent news, To update your incomplete data bank China has lodged in its application to UN to have this disputed Islands to be heard by the Tribunal later this year. You should make a note of this instead of still following others comments that “China has a problem with it-bring it to the Court Baby”

  • Free Tibet!

    Free Tibet!