Japan protests China’s vessels around disputed islands

The flight was part of actual combat training to improve the air force’s response to security threats, Xinhua news agency quoted Senior Colonel Shen Jinke of the People’s Liberation Army (PLA) Air Force as saying.

China and Japan have been involved in a territorial dispute over the uninhabited islands, which are known as the Diaoyu Island in China.

“China-Sea-claim-how-it-could-shape-future-disputes-video” class=”local_link” target=”_blank”>told the Christian Science Monitor last month that China would particularly watch the responses of the USA and the Philippines, which brought the court ruling in part because of a dispute over Scarborough Shoal, a reef 140 miles from the Philippine coast.

But last month a tribunal under the Permanent Court of Arbitration in the Hague ruled that most of Beijing’s claims in that sea had no legal basis.

Japan was demanding that the ships leave the area.

The dispute is complex, involving conflicting claims from the Philippines, Taiwan, Vietnam, Malaysia and Brunei.

Saturday’s protest came a day after Japanese vice foreign minister Shinsuke Sugiyama summoned Cheng Yonghua, China’s ambassador to Tokyo, to protest over intrusions into its territorial waters by Chinese coastguard and fishing vessels on Friday afternoon.

Japan called on China to adhere to the verdict – which it said was binding – prompting warnings from Beijing not to interfere.

China has brought the maritime disputes into another playing field after Beijing launched a website supporting the nation’s claims on the coveted South China Sea.

China said it would ignore the decision.

“China hopes that Singapore.can maintain an objective and fair position as the coordinator of China and Asean dialogue relations, so as to advance Sino-Singapore relations and healthy and stable China-Asean ties”, Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs spokesperson Hua Chunying said on Friday.

Relations between Japan and China have been strained over wartime history, a sensitive topic for the region in times of war-end anniversaries during the summer. Until now, only one of the vessels was armed.

“Japan can never accept activities by (Chinese) official vessels near the Senkaku islands, because it will unilaterally escalate the situation and raise tensions in the area”, it said.