Latest news with #Japanese-administered
Roya News
4 days ago
- Politics
- Roya News
Japan says China's military activities could 'seriously impact' its security
Japan said Tuesday that China's intensifying military activities could "seriously impact" its security, citing the first confirmed incursion by a Chinese military aircraft into its airspace in an annual threat assessment. The defence ministry said in its white paper that China was ramping up its activities in the entire region surrounding Japan. A Chinese military aircraft entered Japan's airspace in August last year, it said. Then in September, a Chinese aircraft carrier and two other naval ships sailed between two Japanese islands near Taiwan. Beijing's military "created a situation that could seriously impact Japan's security", the paper said. It repeated its comment from last year's paper that China's military ambitions pose "an unprecedented and (the) greatest strategic challenge" to Japan and the world. Beijing responded by saying the paper "hypes up the so-called China threat". "China expresses strong dissatisfaction and firm opposition to this and has lodged solemn representations with Japan," China's foreign ministry spokesman Lin Jian said. Tokyo said last week that Chinese fighter jets flew within 30 metres (100 feet) of a Japanese military patrol aircraft over the East China Sea. Last year, Chinese vessels sailed near the Japanese-administered Senkaku islands -- known as the Diaoyu in China -- a record 355 times, according to Tokyo. And last month Japan said that two Chinese aircraft carriers sailed in the Pacific simultaneously for the first time, including in Japan's economic waters. China called it "routine training". Beijing has also conducted joint drills with Russia which are "clearly intended as a demonstration of force against Japan", the paper said. It repeated that North Korea's activities pose a "more grave and imminent threat to Japan's national security than ever before". The white paper was approved by the cabinet of Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba on Tuesday. Japan boosts defence spending Japan is in a multi-year process of increasing its defence spending. It is bolstering its military ties with Washington -- and other regional US allies -- to make US and Japanese forces nimbler in response to threats such as a Chinese invasion of Taiwan. The Pentagon is pressing Japan and Australia to make clear what role they would play if the United States and China went to war over Taiwan, the Financial Times reported on Saturday. Elbridge Colby, US under-secretary of defence for policy, has been pushing the issue in meetings with Japanese and Australian defence officials in recent months, the FT said. Colby said that President Donald Trump's "common sense agenda" included "urging allies to step up their defense spending and other efforts related to our collective defense". "Of course, some among our allies might not welcome frank conversations," Colby wrote on X.
HKFP
4 days ago
- Business
- HKFP
Japan says China's military activities could ‘seriously impact' its security
Japan said Tuesday that China's intensifying military activities could 'seriously impact' its security, citing the first confirmed incursion by a Chinese military aircraft into its airspace in an annual threat assessment. The defence ministry said in its white paper that China was ramping up its activities in the entire region surrounding Japan. A Chinese military aircraft entered Japan's airspace in August last year, it said. Then, in September, a Chinese aircraft carrier and two other naval ships sailed between two Japanese islands near Taiwan. Beijing's military 'created a situation that could seriously impact Japan's security,' the paper said, repeating earlier comments that China's actions were of 'grave concern'. It repeated its comment from last year's paper that China's military ambitions pose 'an unprecedented and (the) greatest strategic challenge' to Japan and the world. Tokyo said last week that Chinese fighter jets flew within 30 metres (100 feet) of a Japanese military patrol aircraft over the East China Sea. Last year, Chinese vessels sailed near the Japanese-administered Senkaku islands — known as the Diaoyu in China — a record 355 times, according to Tokyo. And last month Japan said that two Chinese aircraft carriers sailed in the Pacific simultaneously for the first time, including in Japan's economic waters. China called it 'routine training'. Beijing has also conducted joint drills with Russia which are 'clearly intended as a demonstration of force against Japan,' the paper said. It repeated that North Korea's activities pose a 'more grave and imminent threat to Japan's national security than ever before'. The white paper was approved by the cabinet of Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba on Tuesday morning. Japan is in a multi-year process of increasing its defence spending to the NATO standard of roughly two percent of gross domestic product (GDP). It is bolstering its military ties with Washington — and other regional US allies — to make US and Japanese forces nimbler in response to threats such as a Chinese invasion of Taiwan. The Pentagon is pressing Japan and Australia to make clear what role they would play if the United States and China went to war over Taiwan, the Financial Times reported on Saturday. Elbridge Colby, US under-secretary of defence for policy, has been pushing the issue in meetings with Japanese and Australian defence officials in recent months, the FT said. Colby said on X that President Donald Trump's 'common sense agenda' included 'urging allies to step up their defense spending and other efforts related to our collective defense'. 'Of course, some among our allies might not welcome frank conversations,' Colby added. The issue also forms parts of negotiations between Tokyo and Washington on a trade deal to avert 25 percent tariffs on Japanese imports due from August 1.
The Star
30-06-2025
- Politics
- The Star
Philippines says military leaders working to set-up 'one-theatre' approach in East, South China seas
MANILA (Reuters): Military leaders are working to enforce a "one-theatre" concept in both the East and South China seas, the Philippines' defence minister said on Monday, adding that the South-East Asian country faces threats in disputed waters that are similar to Japan's. Japanese newspaper Asahi reported in April that Japanese defence minister Gen Nakatani made a proposal to US Pentagon Secretary Pete Hegseth to consider the East China Sea, the South China Sea, the Korean Peninsula and surrounding areas as a single "theatre", referring to a military area of operation. Gilberto Teodoro, the Philippines' Secretary of National Defense, said it was "reasonable" to treat both the East and South China seas as a single area of operation, saying both are maritime areas with no land borders involved. However, he said the area should exclude the Korean Peninsula. "That will involve synergy in operations, synergy in domain awareness, in intelligence exchange, and in mutually reinforcing our strengths to work doubly real-time," he said at a briefing during the visit of his Lithuanian counterpart Dovile Sakaliene. Japan and China have repeatedly faced off over uninhabited Japanese-administered islands in the East China Sea that Tokyo calls the Senkaku and Beijing calls the Diaoyu. The Philippines and China, meanwhile, have clashed frequently in the South China Sea around disputed shoals and atolls that fall inside Manila's exclusive economic zone. China's embassy in Manila did not immediately respond to a request for comment. Japan's Joint Operations Command is operationalising the single-theatre concept, and the "Squad" grouping that includes the defense ministers of Australia, Japan, the Philippines and the United States will establish a coordinating centre in December to enforce it, Teodoro said. "So it is already an operating concept. It does not need any other agreement," Teodoro said. Japan and the Philippines last year signed a military agreement that could allow their soldiers on each other's soil. Under President Ferdinand Marcos Jr., the Philippines has extended its arc of alliances beyond the United States, its traditional ally, signing defence deals with Japan and New Zealand, and negotiating for similar agreements with Canada and France. On Monday, the Philippines and Lithuania signed a memorandum of understanding to deepen defence cooperation in areas like cyber security, maritime security and munitions production. "The interesting thing is that we're facing absolutely similar threats and our hostile neighbours are using absolutely similar approach," Lithuanian defence minister Dovile Sakaliene said in the joint briefing with Teodoro. (Reporting by Mikhail Flores; Editing by David Stanway) - Reuters
Straits Times
30-06-2025
- Politics
- Straits Times
Philippines says military leaders working to set up ‘one-theatre' approach in East, South China seas
The Philippines and China have clashed frequently in the South China Sea around disputed shoals and atolls. PHOTO: REUTERS Philippines says military leaders working to set up 'one-theatre' approach in East, South China seas MANILA - Military leaders are working to enforce a 'one-theatre' concept in both the East and South China seas, the Philippines' defence minister said on June 30, adding that the South-east Asian country faces threats in disputed waters that are similar to Japan's. Japanese newspaper Asahi reported in April that Japanese defence minister Gen Nakatani made a proposal to US Pentagon Secretary Pete Hegseth to consider the East China Sea, the South China Sea, the Korean Peninsula and surrounding areas as a single 'theatre', referring to a military area of operation. Mr Gilberto Teodoro, the Philippines' Secretary of National Defense, said it was 'reasonable' to treat both the East and South China seas as a single area of operation, saying both are maritime areas with no land borders involved. However, he said the area should exclude the Korean Peninsula. 'That will involve synergy in operations, synergy in domain awareness, in intelligence exchange, and in mutually reinforcing our strengths to work doubly real-time,' he said at a briefing during the visit of his Lithuanian counterpart Dovile Sakaliene. Japan and China have repeatedly faced off over uninhabited Japanese-administered islands in the East China Sea that Tokyo calls the Senkaku and Beijing calls the Diaoyu. The Philippines and China, meanwhile, have clashed frequently in the South China Sea around disputed shoals and atolls that fall inside Manila's exclusive economic zone. China's embassy in Manila did not immediately respond to a request for comment. Japan's Joint Operations Command is operationalising the single-theatre concept, and the Squad grouping that includes the defense ministers of Australia, Japan, the Philippines and the United States will establish a coordinating centre in December to enforce it, Mr Teodoro said. 'So it is already an operating concept. It does not need any other agreement,' Mr Teodoro said. Japan and the Philippines in 2024 signed a military agreement that could allow their soldiers on each other's soil. Under President Ferdinand Marcos Jr, the Philippines has extended its arc of alliances beyond the United States, its traditional ally, signing defence deals with Japan and New Zealand, and negotiating for similar agreements with Canada and France. On June 30, the Philippines and Lithuania signed a memorandum of understanding to deepen defence cooperation in areas like cyber security, maritime security and munitions production. 'The interesting thing is that we're facing absolutely similar threats and our hostile neighbours are using absolutely similar approach,' Lithuanian defence minister Dovile Sakaliene said in the joint briefing with Mr Teodoro. REUTERS Join ST's Telegram channel and get the latest breaking news delivered to you.
Asahi Shimbun
24-06-2025
- Politics
- Asahi Shimbun
Japan protests against new Chinese structure in East China Sea
TOKYO/BEIJING--China has initiated the installation of a new structure on the west side of the geographical equidistance between Japan and China in the East China Sea, the Japanese Foreign Ministry said on Tuesday, adding it has lodged a protest with China. The ministry said in a statement "It is extremely regrettable" that China is pressing ahead with unilateral development when the exclusive economic zone and the continental shelf in the East China Sea have not yet been delimited. Japan requests that China cease its unilateral development and to resume talks on the implementation of a 2008 agreement, in which the two countries agreed to cooperate on natural resources development in the East China Sea, it also said. There was no immediate response from the Chinese foreign ministry to Reuters' inquiries on the matter. Japan's ties with China have been plagued by a territorial dispute over a group of Japanese-administered islands in the East China Sea, called the Senkaku in Japan and Diaoyu in China, as well as the legacy of Japan's past military aggression.
