Huge Chinese fishing fleet
Posted on 09/17/2012 4:56:32 AM PDT by TigerLikesRooster
UPDATE: As Violent Anti-Japan Protests Spread Across China, 1,000 Fishing Boats Headed To Disputed Islands
NHK, KYODO, THE ASAHI SHIMBUN, THE DAILY YOMIURI (Japan), CHINA DAILY, XINHUA (China), THE STANDARD (Hong Kong), THE GLOBE AND MAIL (Canada)
Worldcrunch
Around 1,000 Chinese fishing boats are expected to arrive in waters near the Senkaku Islands claimed by China later Monday, reports Kyodo news, in what may be Beijing's additional countermeasures over Japan's nationalization of the islets.
If a large number of Chinese vessels intrude into Japanese territorial waters around the Japanese-controlled islands in the East China Sea, says Kyodo, it could trigger unexpected incidents such as clashes with Japan Coast Guard patrol ships, further escalating tensions between the two countries.
Chinese demonstrators rallied in front of the Japanese Embassy in Beijing for the seventh straight day on Monday, reports the NHK.
Chinese protests grew Sunday against Japan's nationalization of the Senkaku Islands, with rallies counted in at least 85 cities and spotty reports of continuing violence and property damage.
Aside from Beijing and Shanghai, the rallies spread to other major cities. The NHK reported rallies drew over 10,000 people in Guangzhou, where thousands of demonstrators, some holding flags and pictures of Chairman Mao Zedong, stormed the Japanese Consulate General compound, attacked a nearby sushi restaurant and destroyed Japanese-made vehicles parked on the street.
(Excerpt) Read more at worldcrunch.com ...
Well that’s one side to the story. There is another which is just as credible. Japan is being very imperialistic of late and not just in this instance.
Hope this helps them learn a badly needed lesson.
Yep...be interestiong to sea how the Japanese Coast Guard handles it. If they call in the JMSDF, then it will get serious.
It could get ugly fast. While we’re all watching Iran, it might explode in the SC Sea.
The world does not revolve around the needs and desires of the USA. Plenty of other action going on that could drag the world into war.
By: Jeff Head
September 18, 2012
The Diaoyu Islands are a small chain of islands that lie between Taiwan (Formosa) and Guam Island. In 1895 the Japanese landed there, and finding them uninhabited, claimed them for the Empire of Japan. The Japanese exerted control over the island until losing World War II.
After their defeat by the United States and her allies, Japanes ceded control of the Islands to US Administrative Control. When the Island of Guam was returned to Japan, these islands were also returned by the United States. But, at, or soon after those events, claims by first The Republic of China (which had located onto Taiwan after they were driven off of the mainland when they lost the revolutionary war in China) and the mainland People's Republic of China were made.
None the less, Japan continued to control and claim the Islands, where it is thought that significant gas, oil and potentially other natural resources exist in some abundance near the Islands.
On August 16, 2012, several Chinese activists attempted, and some landed on the Diaoyu Islands and were immediately interdicted, and/or apprehended by Japanese Coast Guard Vessels.
Pictures of the interdiction and arrests, which many Chinese felt was heavy handed, caused large protests in China beginning August 19th regarding the interdiction and arrest of the Chinese by Japanese Coast Guard personnel.
As a result, in late August and into September of 2012, the Chinese announced that their Maritime Surveillance Patrol vessels would begin patrolling the islands more regularly. The Japanese Coat Guard responded by announcing that their Coast Guard vessels would protect the soveriegnty of the islands.
As a result, there have been numerous confrontations between these vessels where armed Japanese Coast Guard vessels have interdicted or shadowed the generally unarmed Chinese Maritime Surveillance vessels.
During the week of September 10, 2012, the Japanese government purchased the Islands outright from the Japanese private cistizens who owned them, declaring the islands as Japanese soverign territory.
This resulted in much more massive and wide spread anti-Japanese protests throughout China, particularly on September 15-16, 2012. Chinese Police were called in to protect the Japanese embassy and consulates, and Japanese shops and stores. Despite this, protesters broke through police lines in several instances and destroyed Japanese shops and stores in China.
In an escalation, and a plan to overwhelm the Chinese Coast Guard, hundreds of fishing vessels began gathering in Chinese ports to sail to the Islands in a massive protest, gathering on September 17, 2012 and setting sail towards the Islands on September 18th.
This is turning into a serious, escalating situation. Both political leaderships of the two countries are facing election or leadership turnover and are not of a mind to back down. To date, neither official military force, the PLAN (People's Liberation Army Navy) or the JMSDF (Japanese Maritime Self Defense Force) have become involved. But the Japaense Coast Guard is armed and one can see how this highly emotional event could lead to collissions, more confrontations and arrests, and potential violence.
If that happens and either one or the other deploys their military forces, a major crisis involving potential naval and air combat between the two nations could occur.
The next few days as the large number of fishing vessels converge on the Islands and are confronted by the Japanese Coast Guard vessels, will be indicative of how this crisis may play out. Let's all hope that cooler heads prevail.
From the Japanese perspective, perhaps letting these fishing vessels come near to, pass around, protest, and make their statement without interference would be the best way to avoid conflict. They clearly will not be able to inhabit and claim the islands. Letting them sail around a few days and ultimately depart may be the best way to ease tensions and lead to constructive talks about what the two nations will do through negotiations as opposed to the rising potential of armed conflict.
From the Chinese perspective, interdicting that large fleet of fishing vessels with their own Coast Guard or Navt, which fishing boats seem intent on violating what Japan considers to be its soverign territory and avoid the potential confronttions that are sure to ensue, may well be the best course. Such an action on their part could equally lead to an easing of tensions and the potential for talks and negotiations to open up over the issue.
But those are the conditions as of September 18, 2012.
Awesome photo and caption montage, Jeff! Wow! Terrific photos!
That is the most concise and informative post I have seen on this. Thank you.
The fact is, there are other areas where our leadership and strength are needed and where things could get out of hand quickly.
We need a steady, all-American hand at the wheel...not someone who is appeasing, or who viewed as weak or unsure, or who is themself against America's traditional, vital interests.
Otherwise, things will go bad all around simultaneously as belligerent powers take advantage of the vacuum.
The United States Navy used to be a stabelizing force in the area. Not under our current administration.
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