China hits back at Japan over its expansion in the South China Sea dispute

JAPAN’S recent decision to expand its involvement in the South China Sea dispute hasn’t gone down well with the rising superpower.

CHINA has issued a scathing response to Japan’s recent announcement that it will expand its presence in the South China Sea.

In an editorial piece for the country’s official press agency Xinhua, writer Qu Junya questioned Tokyo’s motives and accused the Japanese government of “fishing in troubled waters” as opposed to seeking regional peace.

“As keeping maritime order in the South China Sea is a shared duty of the region’s coastal states, the huge interest an outsider like Japan has shown in following in the footsteps of the United States can hardly be justified,” writes Junya.

China has issued a scathing response to Japan’s recent announcement that it will expand its presence in the South China Sea.

He goes on to accuse them of actually getting involved over tensions regarding the East China Sea conflict.

“That is where its true and major purpose lies,” he writes.

“Apparently, Japan is making cats paw out of the South China Sea issue to secure more bargaining chips at its own negotiating table, rather than pursue regional peace and stability.”

Despite being key trade partners with a steady co-dependent economic relationship, Japan and China have a troubled history dating back to World War II.

The article acknowledges this, saying it’s hard to buy the belief that Japan is truly pacifist.

“Analysts find the remarks hardly convincing as Japan still refuses to face squarely its history and atrocities during World War II, and that its government is seeking to amend the country’s pacifist post-war constitution.

“In fact, any military moves of Japan would quickly remind its neighbours of their wartime sufferings.”

The Xinhua article evoked a history of conflict between China and Japan.

Late last week, Japan announced its intention to step up its activity in the disputed South China Sea region.

Japanese Defence Minister Tomoomi Inada said the country will conduct joint training patrols with the United States and bilateral and multilateral exercises with regional navies, despite having no territorial claims in the region.

Ms Inada justified the decision by saying Japan shared similar concerns with the US about China’s rise to power and aggressive pursuit of territorial claims.

“In this context, I strongly support the US Navy’s freedom-of-navigation operations, which go a long way to upholding the rules-based international maritime order,” she said.

“Japan, for its part, will increase its engagement in the South China Sea through, for example, Maritime Self-Defence Force joint training cruises with the US Navy and bilateral and multilateral exercises with regional navies,” she said.