China Raises Stakes Over Disputed Islands -- Financial Times
China has started making concerted efforts to chase Japanese ships out of waters surrounding the disputed Senkaku islands in the East China Sea, ratcheting up tensions between Asia’s two largest economies.
The Chinese State Oceanic Administration – which enforces the nation’s maritime interests – said four of its ships on Tuesday tried to expel Japanese vessels out of waters where they were operating “illegally”.
Japan controls the Senkaku islands, but they are also claimed by China – which calls them the Diaoyu – and Taiwan. The Japanese coastguard in recent months has been playing cat and mouse games with Chinese vessels sailing near the Senkaku, and sometimes entering waters that Japan says are its territory.
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My Comment: China is deliberately escalating .... almost daring Japan to do something knowing that the U.S. .... because of next weeks Presidential elections .... will stay out of this dispute. What's my take .... this is dangerous geopolitics .... Japan must now respond .... or else it will lose face and be confronted with even more Chinese efforts to assert its authority over these disputed islands.
