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NZ Herald
6 days ago
- General
- NZ Herald
China's aircraft carriers push into waters long dominated by US
This was the first time that two Chinese carriers had ventured together past the 'first island chain' — the barrier of islands east of China that includes the Japanese island of Okinawa, where US Marines are based, and Taiwan — and towards Guam, a US military hub, said Christopher Sharman, the director of the China Maritime Studies Institute at the US Naval War College. Guam is part of what is called the 'second island chain,' which stretches from Tokyo to south of Palau. The Chinese naval activities near or past the second island chain signal that US forces 'operating in the vicinity of Guam could be at greater risk', Sharman said. 'These aircraft carrier operations are a harbinger of what is to come,' said Sharman, a former US Navy attache in Beijing. China 'wants its carriers to be capable of operating independently at remote locations from the mainland, in both peacetime and wartime,' he said. 'That means training for longer periods of time and at increasing distances from China.' China's Navy said last month that the two carriers and accompanying warships were practicing 'far-sea defence and joint operations'. The two carrier groups also squared off against each other in a simulated confrontation, said Xinhua, China's official news agency. Some jet fighters that took off from the carriers flew perilously close to Japanese surveillance aircraft, Japan's Defence Ministry said. The exercises were not just for show. Operating aircraft from carriers is demanding and risky, Sharman said. By training far out in the Pacific, the carriers and accompanying vessels gained 'valuable operating experience in unfamiliar waters, thereby providing the crew with skills that are applicable to future operations elsewhere in the world', he said. In the coming years, China may deploy aircraft carriers and accompanying naval vessels to bolster its claims in the South China Sea or in territorial disputes with South Korea or Japan. China could also send carriers to more distant parts of the world as a show of force to defend its economic and security interests. China has only one significant overseas military base, in Djibouti, but carriers give it 'the option of carrying out myriad aviation missions anywhere its navy sails', said Timothy Heath, a senior researcher at Rand, an organisation that provides analysis for the Pentagon and other clients. 'The most important routes are those to the Middle East along the Indian Ocean.' Still, the carriers are not a guarantee of Chinese regional maritime dominance. In a toe-to-toe confrontation between China and the US, each side's carriers could be vulnerable to the other's torpedoes or missiles. Given those risks, carriers may play a limited role, at least initially, in any potential clash over Taiwan, the self-governed island that China claims as its territory, several military experts said. And because Taiwan is close to mainland China's coast and its many air bases, the aircraft carriers would not be crucial for trying to dominate the skies in a war over the island, said Oriana Skylar Mastro, a fellow at the Freeman Spogli Institute for International Studies at Stanford University who studies Chinese military strategy. China could send its carriers farther out into the Pacific to fend off US forces steaming to Taiwan's aid, though the carriers would then be much more exposed to US attacks, Mastro said. But China could also deploy the carriers as part of an effort to choke Taiwan off from the world. 'Chinese aircraft carriers will be useful in imposing a blockade on Taiwan,' said Narushige Michishita, a professor at the National Graduate Institute for Policy Studies in Tokyo who studies China's military. 'Aircraft carriers can [be used for surveillance over] large areas and put coercive pressure on both military and commercial ships and aircraft.' China now has three carriers, all running on diesel and generally less advanced than America's 11 nuclear-powered carriers. By 2040, China may have six carriers, according to US Navy estimates. China appears to be building a fourth carrier, which analysts say may use nuclear power. That would give it far greater range without the need to refuel. President Xi Jinping appears to have decided that the country must have more carriers, and other big military assets, to cement its position as a global power. After the two Chinese carriers finished training in the Pacific this month, one of them, the Shandong, docked in Hong Kong, and selected members of the public were allowed to tour the vessel. 'Politically, they are one of the ultimate status symbols for any country,' Heath said of aircraft carriers. China's enthusiastic publicity about the carrier manoeuvres in the Pacific indicated that its 'leadership highly values the political symbolism of owning such a powerful warship', Heath said. Decades ago, Chinese leaders had resisted acquiring aircraft carriers, deciding that they were too costly at a time when China's economy was much smaller. That began to change after 1996, when the US deployed two carrier battle groups to the waters near Taiwan to deter Beijing from further escalating tensions with the island. China had been firing ballistic missiles near Taiwan's main ports, hoping to scare voters inclined to support President Lee Teng-hui, who Beijing saw as pushing pro-independence policies. Two years after that crisis, a Chinese businessman bought a rusting, unfinished ex-Soviet carrier that was owned by Ukraine. China later bought and finished the ship, which debuted in 2012 as its first carrier, called the Liaoning. These days, budget limits are not such a worry for China's Navy. But its leaders are not rushing headlong into carrier expansion. The Shandong — China's second carrier and its first built at home — was launched in 2017. The latest, the Fujian, was launched in 2022 and has still not been placed into active service. The Fujian uses an electromagnetic catapult system to launch aircraft, which is more technically challenging than using a deck with a ski slope-like ramp, but makes it possible to fly heavier, better-armed planes. 'Chinese carrier operations are still in a rudimentary phase,' Michishita said. China, he said, is 'taking a steady step-by-step approach to improve their capabilities'. This article originally appeared in The New York Times. Written by: Chris Buckley and Marco Hernandez ©2025 THE NEW YORK TIMES
New York Times
6 days ago
- Politics
- New York Times
China's Aircraft Carriers Push Into Waters Long Dominated by U.S.
As China girds for a deepening global rivalry with the United States, Beijing is testing how far its navy can operate from home, and how well its warships can work together on the open seas. In recent exercises involving two aircraft carriers, China gave a bold display of how it seeks to assert dominance in the western Pacific. From late May and for much of June in seas near Japan, the two Chinese carriers — the Liaoning and the Shandong — practiced takeoffs and landings of fighter jets and helicopters, as many as 90 or more times on some days, according to reports from the Japanese military's joint staff. Each carrier was protected by several warships. The exercises, which caused Japan to express 'serious concerns,' were a template for how China could use a growing collection of aircraft carriers to project armed power into the Pacific and try to overawe Asian neighbors aligned with Washington. This was the first time that two Chinese carriers had ventured together past the 'first island chain' — the barrier of islands east of China that includes the Japanese island of Okinawa, where U.S. Marines are based, and Taiwan — and toward Guam, a U.S. military hub, said Christopher Sharman, the director of the China Maritime Studies Institute at the U.S. Naval War College. Guam is part of what is called the 'second island chain,' which stretches from Tokyo to south of Palau. The Chinese naval activities near or past the second island chain signal that U.S. forces 'operating in the vicinity of Guam could be at greater risk,' Mr. Sharman said. Chinese aircraft carriers' moves in the Pacific The Liaoning The Shandong Japan Sea JAPAN Yellow Sea June 20 CHINA May 25 Okinawa June 7 July 3 Hong Kong June 10 June 7 South China Sea Guam Philippine Sea PHILIPPINES Palau 300 miles The Shandong The Liaoning CHINA July 3 Hong Kong PHILIPPINES May 25 June 20 Okinawa Philippine Sea JAPAN June 10 Guam June 7 500 miles The Shandong The Liaoning Japan Sea JAPAN Yellow Sea June 20 CHINA May 25 Okinawa June 7 July 3 Hong Kong June 7 June 10 South China Sea Guam Philippine Sea PHILIPPINES Palau 300 miles Source: Ministry of Defence of Japan The New York Times 'These aircraft carrier operations are a harbinger of what is to come,' said Mr. Sharman, a former U.S. Navy attaché in Beijing. China 'wants its carriers to be capable of operating independently at remote locations from the mainland, in both peacetime and wartime,' he said. 'That means training for longer periods of time and at increasing distances from China.' China's navy said last month that the two carriers and accompanying warships were practicing 'far-sea defense and joint operations.' The two carrier groups also squared off against each other in a simulated confrontation, said Xinhua, China's official news agency. Some jet fighters that took off from the carriers flew perilously close to Japanese surveillance aircraft, Japan's defense ministry said. The exercises were not just for show. Operating aircraft from carriers is demanding and risky, Mr. Sharman said. By training far out in the Pacific, the carriers and accompanying vessels gained 'valuable operating experience in unfamiliar waters, thereby providing the crew with skills that are applicable to future operations elsewhere in the world,' he said. In the coming years, China may deploy aircraft carriers and accompanying naval vessels to bolster its claims in the South China Sea or in territorial disputes with South Korea or Japan. China could also send carriers to more distant parts of the world as a show of force to defend its economic and security interests. China has only one significant overseas military base, in Djibouti, but carriers give it 'the option of carrying out myriad aviation missions anywhere its navy sails,' said Timothy R. Heath, a senior researcher at RAND, an organization that provides analysis for the Pentagon and other clients. 'The most important routes are those to the Middle East along the Indian Ocean.' Still, the carriers are not a guarantee of Chinese regional maritime dominance. In a toe-to-toe confrontation between China and the United States, each side's carriers could be vulnerable to the other's torpedoes or missiles. Given those risks, carriers may play a limited role, at least initially, in any potential clash over Taiwan, the self-governed island that China claims as its territory, several military experts said. And because Taiwan is close to mainland China's coast and its many air bases, the aircraft carriers would not be crucial for trying to dominate the skies in a war over the island, said Oriana Skylar Mastro, a fellow at the Freeman Spogli Institute for International Studies at Stanford University who studies Chinese military strategy. China could send its carriers farther out into the Pacific to fend off U.S. forces steaming to Taiwan's aid, though the carriers would then be much more exposed to U.S. attacks, Ms. Mastro said. But China could also deploy the carriers as part of an effort to choke Taiwan off from the world. 'Chinese aircraft carriers will be useful in imposing a blockade on Taiwan,' said Narushige Michishita, a professor at the National Graduate Institute for Policy Studies in Tokyo who studies China's military. 'Aircraft carriers can surveil large areas and put coercive pressure on both military and commercial ships and aircraft.' China now has three carriers, all running on diesel and generally less advanced than the United States' 11 nuclear powered carriers. By 2040, China may have six carriers, according to U.S. Navy estimates. China appears to be building a fourth carrier, which analysts say may use nuclear power. That would give it far greater range without the need to refuel. Side-by-side carriers These are China's three aircraft carriers, and how they compare to the world's largest aircraft carrier. Chengdu J-20 to scale The Liaoning Brought from Ukraine to China in 2002, this diesel aircraft carrier is a Chinese modernization of an unfinished Soviet vessel. 997 ft long The Shandong China's second carrier is very similar to The Liaoning, also an enhanced Soviet model, with a faster cruising speed of up to 31 knots. Its predecessor could cruise at up to 29 knots. 997 ft The Fujian This aircraft carrier enhanced China's capabilities to launch heavier and larger fixed-wing aircraft. However, like its predecessors, it is diesel powered. 1,037 ft F-22 Raptor to scale The USS Gerald R. Ford This is currently the largest aircraft carrier in the world, and is nuclear powered. China's new aircraft carrier is expected to be of a similar length, and may be nuclear powered. 1,106 ft long Chengdu J-20 to scale 997 ft long The Liaoning Brought from Ukraine to China in 2002, this diesel aircraft carrier is a Chinese modernization of an unfinished Soviet vessel. 997 ft The Shandong China's second carrier is very similar to The Liaoning, also an enhanced Soviet model, with a faster cruising speed of up to 31 knots. Its predecessor could cruise at up to 29 knots. 1,037 ft The Fujian This aircraft carrier enhanced China's capabilities to launch heavier and larger fixed-wing aircraft. However, like its predecessors, it is diesel powered. F-22 Raptor to scale 1,106 ft long The USS Gerald R. Ford This is currently the largest aircraft carrier in the world, and is nuclear powered. China's new aircraft carrier is expected to be of a similar length, and may be nuclear powered. Sources: Center for Strategic and International Studies and U.S. Navy Note: Artist impressions based on photos, models and diagrams of the carriers The New York Times Xi Jinping, China's top leader, appears to have decided that the country must have more carriers, and other big military assets, to cement its position as a global power. After the two Chinese carriers finished training in the Pacific this month, one of them, the Shandong, docked in Hong Kong, and selected members of the public were allowed to tour the vessel. 'Politically, they are one of the ultimate status symbols for any country,' Mr. Heath, the researcher at RAND, said of aircraft carriers. China's enthusiastic publicity about the carrier maneuvers in the Pacific indicated that its 'leadership highly values the political symbolism of owning such a powerful warship,' Mr. Heath said. Decades ago, Chinese leaders had resisted acquiring aircraft carriers, deciding that they were too costly at a time when China's economy was much smaller. That began to change after 1996, when the United States deployed two carrier battle groups to the waters near Taiwan to deter Beijing from further escalating tensions with the island. China had been firing ballistic missiles near Taiwan's main ports, hoping to scare voters inclined to support President Lee Teng-hui, who Beijing saw as pushing pro-independence policies. Two years after that crisis, a Chinese businessman bought a rusting, unfinished ex-Soviet carrier that was owned by Ukraine. China later bought and finished the ship, which debuted in 2012 as its first carrier, called the Liaoning. These days, budget limits are not such a worry for China's navy. But its leaders are not rushing headlong into carrier expansion. The Shandong — China's second carrier and its first built at home — was launched in 2017. The latest, the Fujian, was launched in 2022 and has still not been placed into active service. The Fujian uses an electromagnetic catapult system to launch aircraft, which is more technically challenging than using a deck with a ski slope-like ramp, but makes it possible to fly heavier, better-armed planes. 'Chinese carrier operations are still in a rudimentary phase,' said Mr. Michishita, of the institute in Tokyo. China, he said, is 'taking a steady step-by-step approach to improve their capabilities.' Kiuko Notoya in Tokyo contributed reporting.
Boston Globe
14-06-2025
- Politics
- Boston Globe
‘Let's celebrate his birthday, too': Trump marches military into uncharted territory with Washington parade, energizing both supporters and the opposition
Advertisement 'It was the little push to go,' Levitre said. He was aware of the intense criticism Trump's parade has attracted, particularly regarding the use of the military for a president's personal and political aims. Get Starting Point A guide through the most important stories of the morning, delivered Monday through Friday. Enter Email Sign Up 'I know he has an ego; I believe that,' Levitre said. 'But maybe it can be a win-win … good for the people, good for our service … if it's good for Trump, can't it be good for America?' But the convergence of the political world with the historically nonpartisan sphere of the military was clearly obvious to some protesters who came to the Mall to express alarm and outrage at Trump's decision in an echo of Advertisement 'It is always about him,' said Bob Patchen, a retiree from Washington who was holding a sign that said, 'support our troops — dump Trump." In the span of one week, Trump has taken a trio of highly controversial steps that pose an unprecedented test for the longstanding boundary between the US military and partisan politics. By warn Trump is threatening to spread the nation's deep polarization to the last remaining bastion of strong bipartisan support in the federal government: America's armed forces. 'Every president wants to bolster his own popularity and legitimacy by associating himself with the military … but they've all been pretty careful about how they do that,' said Yvonne Chiu, a Jeane Kirkpatrick visiting fellow at the center-right American Enterprise Institute think tank and associate professor at the US Naval War College. 'It's all been pretty small potatoes compared to what is happening now.' While plenty of other Trump supporters in MAGA apparel thronged to the Mall, many attendees wore patriotic attire or hats and shirts with all manner of military symbols and slogans, and some downplayed any political charge to the event. Shannon Wilson, a northern Virginia resident who was there with her husband and son — both of whom served in the military — said she came to experience the special camaraderie of military families and to honor their sacrifices. 'It's not political at all to me personally,' she said. However, Democratic military veterans in Congress charged Trump is using the military as a political prop, which they say is both ironic and insulting for Advertisement 'He's abusing our military and destroying the tradition of the military being aside from politics and he's doing what every authoritarian dictator has done, which is co-opt the military for their own personal goals,' said Illinois Senator Tammy Duckworth, a former Army helicopter pilot who lost her legs in a rocket-propelled grenade attack while serving in Iraq. 'What I'm concerned about is the damage to the military and America's trust in our nation's military.' Trump's critics are particularly galled he chose to spend Administration officials said it's just a coincidence the Army was founded on the same day as Trump's birthday. But the Navy and Marine Corps aren't scheduled to get similar Washington celebrations on their 250th anniversaries this year. Trump said in May Advertisement Minnesota Governor Tim Walz, the 2024 Democratic vice presidential nominee who was in Washington to testify at a congressional hearing, said he went for a run on the National Mall Friday morning and was disturbed by the array of tanks and military equipment on display, which he said resembled a scene from the capital of North Korea. 'It looks weak rather than strong,' Walz, a retired officer in the Army National Guard, told reporters at the Center for American Progress Friday afternoon. 'I think it's just another manifestation of this president seeing this as his Army.' Congressional Republicans defended the parade, even though 'He's showing support for the military in a way that maybe other presidents have not, and he takes pride in our military,' said Representative Carlos Gimenez, a Florida Republican who planned to be back home this weekend. 'It's not a celebration of Trump's birthday. It's a celebration of the Army.' It's also the type of military celebration Trump has wanted to preside over since witnessing a similar one in Paris on Bastille Day in 2017. 'It was one of the greatest parades I've ever seen,' But during his first term, Pentagon leadership pushed back because of the disturbing parallels to military dictatorships. Advertisement In his second term, 'You see civilians around the president mirror his own enthusiasm for violating military professional norms rather than serving as the kind of guardrails,' said Carrie A. Lee, a senior fellow at the German Marshall Fund of the United States, a Washington think tank focused on trans-Atlantic relations. She said Trump has broken with those norms by federalizing the California National Guard and sending Marines to Los Angeles last weekend over the objections of state officials — the first such move in 60 years. And, in 'Having the parade coincident with his birthday … would just be poor taste and bad optics," said Lee, former director of the Civil-Military Relations Center at the US Army War College. 'But in the context of everything else, the parade becomes a symptom of what is now a civil-military challenge for the United States.' Advertisement 'We saw in his first term that he degraded that public support. We're seeing in his second term, that he's degrading that public support,' Auchincloss said. 'That's bad for national security if our armed forces don't enjoy broad bipartisan support.' While the Army's anniversary should be celebrated, Auchincloss said, he couldn't bring himself to attend an event he described as 'an expensive birthday party for a man-child.' 'I'd rather get rolled over by one of the tanks,' he said. On the Mall in Washington, Javier Mery, who served in the Army for 25 years after emigrating from Uruguay, said he was a political independent, but bought a black and gold MAGA hat from a vendor as he headed toward the festivities. 'My honest opinion — I don't care," Mery said, when asked about the parade's timing. 'Let's celebrate his birthday, too.' Jim Puzzanghera can be reached at
Saudi Gazette
09-05-2025
- Politics
- Saudi Gazette
Drone war opens a new chapter in India-Pakistan conflict
NEW DELHI — The world's first drone war between nuclear-armed neighbors has erupted in South Asia. On Thursday, India accused Pakistan of launching waves of drones and missiles at three military bases in Indian territory and Indian-administered Kashmir — an allegation Islamabad swiftly denied. Pakistan claimed it had shot down 25 Indian drones in recent hours. Delhi remained publicly silent. Experts say the tit-for-tat attacks mark a dangerous new phase in the decades-old rivalry, as both sides exchange not just artillery but unmanned weapons across a volatile border. As Washington and other global powers urge restraint, the region is teetering on the edge of escalation, with drones -- silent, remote and deniable -- opening a new chapter in the India-Pakistan conflict. "The Indo-Pak conflict is moving into a new drone era - one where 'invisible eyes' and unmanned precision may determine escalation or restraint. Thus, in South Asia's contested skies, the side that masters drone warfare won't just see the battlefield - they'll shape it," Jahara Matisek, a professor at the US Naval War College, told the BBC. Since Wednesday morning, Pakistan says Indian air strikes and cross-border fire have killed 36 people and injured 57 more in Pakistan and Pakistan-administered Kashmir. On the other side, India's army reports at least 16 civilians dead from Pakistani shelling. India insists its missile barrage was retaliation for a deadly militant attack on Indian tourists in Pahalgam last month - an attack Islamabad denies any role military announced on Thursday that it had shot down 25 Indian drones across various cities, including Karachi, Lahore and Rawalpindi. The drones -- reportedly Israeli-made Harop drones -- were reportedly intercepted using both technical and weapon-based countermeasures. India claimed to have neutralized several Pakistani air defense radars and systems, including one in Lahore, which Islamabad missiles and bombs, drones and unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) have become pivotal in modern warfare, significantly enhancing the precision and efficiency of military operations. These can relay co-ordinates for airstrikes or, if equipped, directly laser-designate targets, and help immediate can be used as decoys or suppression of enemy air defenses, flying into contested airspace to trigger enemy radar emissions, which can then be targeted by other munitions like loitering drones or anti-radiation missiles. "This is how Ukraine and Russia both do it in their war. This dual role -- targeting and triggering -- makes drones a force multiplier in degrading enemy air defenses without risking manned aircraft," says Prof say India's drone fleet is largely built around Israeli-made reconnaissance UAVs like the IAI Searcher and Heron, along with Harpy and Harop loitering munitions -- drones that double as missiles, capable of autonomous reconnaissance and precision strikes. The Harop, in particular, signals a shift toward high-value, precision-targeted warfare, reflecting the growing importance of loitering munitions in modern conflict, experts Heron, say experts, is India's "high-altitude eyes in the sky" for both peacetime monitoring and combat operations. The IAI Searcher Mk II is designed for frontline operations, offering up to 18 hours of endurance, a range of 300km (186 miles), and a service ceiling of 7,000m (23,000ft).While many believe India's combat drone numbers remain "modest", a recent $4bn deal to acquire 31 MQ-9B Predator drones -- which can can fly for 40 hours and up to an altitude of 40,000ft - from the US marks a major leap in its strike is also developing swarm drone tactics - deploying large numbers of smaller UAVs to overwhelm and saturate air defenses, allowing higher-value assets to penetrate, say drone fleet is "extensive and diverse", comprising both indigenous and imported systems, Ejaz Haider, a Lahore-based defense analyst told the said the inventory includes "over a thousand drones", featuring models from China, Turkey and domestic manufacturers. Notable platforms include the Chinese CH-4, the Turkish Bayraktar Akinci, and Pakistan's own Burraq and Shahpar drones. Additionally, Pakistan has developed loitering munitions, enhancing its strike forces inspect area after an Indian drone strike on Karachi on ThursdayHaider said the Pakistan Air Force (PAF) has been actively integrating unmanned systems into its operations for nearly a decade. A key focus is the development of "loyal wingman" drones - unmanned aerial vehicles designed to operate in co-ordination with manned aircraft, he Matisek believes "Israel's technical assistance, supplying Harop and Heron drones, has been pivotal for India, while Pakistan's reliance on Turkish and Chinese platforms highlights an ongoing arms race".While the recent drone exchanges between India and Pakistan mark a significant escalation in their rivalry, they differ markedly from the drone-centric warfare observed in the Russia-Ukraine conflict, experts say. There, drones become central to military operations, with both sides deploying thousands of UAVs for surveillance, targeting and direct attacks."Deploying drones [in the ongoing conflict] instead of fighter jets or heavy missiles represents a lower-level military option. Drones are less heavily armed than manned aircraft, so in one sense, this is a restrained move. However, if this is merely a prelude to a broader aerial campaign, the calculus changes entirely," Manoj Joshi, an Indian defense analyst, told the Haider believes the recent drone activity in Jammu "appears to be a tactical response to immediate provocations, not a full-scale retaliation [by Pakistan]"."A true retaliatory strike against India would involve shock and awe. It would likely be more comprehensive, involving multiple platforms — both manned and unmanned — and targeting a broader range of objectives. Such an operation would aim to deliver a decisive impact, signaling a significant escalation beyond the current tit-for-tat exchanges," Haider drones have fundamentally reshaped the battlefield in Ukraine, their role in the India-Pakistan conflict remains more limited and symbolic, say experts. Both countries are using their manned air forces to fire missiles at one another as well."The drone warfare we're witnessing may not last long; it could be just the beginning of a larger conflict," says Joshi."This could either signal a de-escalation or an escalation - both possibilities are on the table. We're at an inflection point; the direction we take from here is uncertain."Clearly India is integrating drones into its precision-strike doctrine, enabling stand-off targeting without crossing borders with manned aircraft. However, this evolution also raises critical questions."Drones lower the political and operational threshold for action, providing options to surveil and strike while trying to reduce escalation risks," says Prof Matisek."But they also create new escalation dynamics: every drone shot down, every radar blinded, becomes a potential flashpoint in this tense environment between two nuclear powers." — BBC
South China Morning Post
18-04-2025
- Politics
- South China Morning Post
Is China planning to declare shared control of Diaoyu Islands with Japan?
China is preparing to take the next step in its campaign to challenge Japanese control of the disputed Diaoyu Islands by unilaterally declaring them to be jointly administered, a prominent maritime security expert has warned. Advertisement Dr Toshi Yoshihara, a leading authority on China's naval strategy and a former professor at the US Naval War College, told the right-leaning Sankei Shimbun newspaper that Beijing could also dispatch members of its maritime militia disguised as fishermen to land on the uninhabited islets to further its claims, complicating any coordinated response by Tokyo and Washington. Yoshihara said China had maintained a near-constant coastguard presence in waters surrounding the Diaoyus – known in Japan as the Senkakus – including regular incursions into what Tokyo considered its territorial waters. By maintaining this presence, Beijing could argue that Japan was failing to exercise administrative authority, thereby justifying a claim of shared control. '[If] China can demonstrate that it can be in those waters on a more or less permanent basis and Japan can't do anything about it, how can Japan actually in practise claim that it has administrative control of the waters?' he said in the interview, which was published on Tuesday. The disputed Diaoyu Islands, also known as Senkaku in Japan, in the East China Sea. Photo: Reuters/Kyodo This approach was the natural progression from Chinese President Xi Jinping's visit to the China coastguard's Shanghai headquarters for the East China Sea in November 2023, during which he ordered measures to 'strengthen sovereignty over the Diaoyu Islands', Yoshihara said.
