ID :
142308
Thu, 09/16/2010 - 09:47
Auther :
Shortlink :
https://www.oananews.org//node/142308
The shortlink copeid
China 'testing' Japan in islands row: ex-senior U.S. official
+
TOKYO, Sept. 15 Kyodo -
Former U.S. Deputy Secretary of State Richard Armitage said Wednesday that he
sees China's handling of a bilateral row over a ship collision case last week
as a way of ''testing'' Japan.
After meeting with top Japanese government spokesman Yoshito Sengoku, with whom
he discussed last week's collisions off the disputed Senkaku Islands, Armitage
told reporters, ''To some extent, they are testing Japan.''
At the same time, he said the incident served more as a ''warning to Vietnam,
Malaysia, the Philippines and Taiwan about their disputed territory'' in
connection with a different territorial row China has with these countries in
the South China Sea.
The meeting at the Japanese prime minister's office came amid tensions between
Japan and China following the collisions between a Chinese fishing boat and two
Japan Coast Guard vessels, which resulted in the detention by Japanese
authorities of the boat's skipper and several protests by Beijing over Tokyo's
actions.
Armitage told a press conference later in the day that he believes China sensed
''a chill'' in the Japan-U.S. relationship over the last year and is ''taking
advantage of that chill.''
''I think it's obvious that China is testing to see if they can get away with
it,'' he said. He was apparently referring to a bilateral row over the
relocation of a U.S. Marine base in Okinawa and its negative impact on the two
countries' security alliance.
Tokyo regards the Senkaku Islands as an integral part of its territory and
denies the existence of any territorial dispute in the East China Sea. China
and Taiwan claim the Japan-administered islands known in China as Diaoyu and in
Taiwan as Tiaoyutai.
Armitage said the Japan-U.S. security pact covers the Japan-administered area
and the United States would be obliged to defend Japan if Chinese actions
escalate.
''I hope China will take that into full consideration,'' he said.
He also said Japan's strategy is ''right'' as it ''carefully approaches'' the
matter and does not overreact.
The former senior U.S. official recommended that Japan slightly increase its
defense budget and make joint drills between its Self-Defense Forces and U.S.
forces more visible without mentioning China as a demonstration of Tokyo's
intention to counter Beijing's activities.
Chief Cabinet Secretary Sengoku separately told a news conference he and
Armitage had discussed China's recent maritime activities and exchanged
opinions about looking at such actions in a strategic way.
Sengoku noted that such activities had been mentioned in the Japanese Defense
Ministry's annual white paper, which voiced concern over recent Chinese naval
activity including in waters close to Japan.
Armitage expressed hope in the press conference that U.S. President Barack
Obama and Japanese Prime Minister Naoto Kan will issue a joint statement on ''a
vision for the future'' when they meet on the sidelines of a U.N. meeting in
New York next week.
The statement should ''eliminate a lot of anxieties'' about Japan-U.S.
relations and ''send a signal to China that they can't put a wedge between
us,'' he said.
On the thorny issue of relocating the U.S. Marine Corps' Futenma Air Station in
Okinawa, Armitage voiced concern that the results of local elections reflecting
many Okinawa residents' opposition to the Japan-U.S. plan to move the facility
within the prefecture ''could make things near to impossible.''
But he added the situation will be ''hard but not impossible.''
In May this year, the two countries agreed that the Futenma facility in a
crowded residential area of Ginowan in the southern prefecture will be moved to
a less densely populated coastal zone in Nago. Candidates opposed to hosting
the replacement facility gained a majority in the Nago city assembly election
last Sunday.
Armitage is said to be one of the main architects of a 1996 agreement between
Japan and the United States on consolidating and reducing U.S. military bases
in Okinawa, including the relocation of the Futenma airstrip.
==Kyodo
2010-09-15 23:09:31
TOKYO, Sept. 15 Kyodo -
Former U.S. Deputy Secretary of State Richard Armitage said Wednesday that he
sees China's handling of a bilateral row over a ship collision case last week
as a way of ''testing'' Japan.
After meeting with top Japanese government spokesman Yoshito Sengoku, with whom
he discussed last week's collisions off the disputed Senkaku Islands, Armitage
told reporters, ''To some extent, they are testing Japan.''
At the same time, he said the incident served more as a ''warning to Vietnam,
Malaysia, the Philippines and Taiwan about their disputed territory'' in
connection with a different territorial row China has with these countries in
the South China Sea.
The meeting at the Japanese prime minister's office came amid tensions between
Japan and China following the collisions between a Chinese fishing boat and two
Japan Coast Guard vessels, which resulted in the detention by Japanese
authorities of the boat's skipper and several protests by Beijing over Tokyo's
actions.
Armitage told a press conference later in the day that he believes China sensed
''a chill'' in the Japan-U.S. relationship over the last year and is ''taking
advantage of that chill.''
''I think it's obvious that China is testing to see if they can get away with
it,'' he said. He was apparently referring to a bilateral row over the
relocation of a U.S. Marine base in Okinawa and its negative impact on the two
countries' security alliance.
Tokyo regards the Senkaku Islands as an integral part of its territory and
denies the existence of any territorial dispute in the East China Sea. China
and Taiwan claim the Japan-administered islands known in China as Diaoyu and in
Taiwan as Tiaoyutai.
Armitage said the Japan-U.S. security pact covers the Japan-administered area
and the United States would be obliged to defend Japan if Chinese actions
escalate.
''I hope China will take that into full consideration,'' he said.
He also said Japan's strategy is ''right'' as it ''carefully approaches'' the
matter and does not overreact.
The former senior U.S. official recommended that Japan slightly increase its
defense budget and make joint drills between its Self-Defense Forces and U.S.
forces more visible without mentioning China as a demonstration of Tokyo's
intention to counter Beijing's activities.
Chief Cabinet Secretary Sengoku separately told a news conference he and
Armitage had discussed China's recent maritime activities and exchanged
opinions about looking at such actions in a strategic way.
Sengoku noted that such activities had been mentioned in the Japanese Defense
Ministry's annual white paper, which voiced concern over recent Chinese naval
activity including in waters close to Japan.
Armitage expressed hope in the press conference that U.S. President Barack
Obama and Japanese Prime Minister Naoto Kan will issue a joint statement on ''a
vision for the future'' when they meet on the sidelines of a U.N. meeting in
New York next week.
The statement should ''eliminate a lot of anxieties'' about Japan-U.S.
relations and ''send a signal to China that they can't put a wedge between
us,'' he said.
On the thorny issue of relocating the U.S. Marine Corps' Futenma Air Station in
Okinawa, Armitage voiced concern that the results of local elections reflecting
many Okinawa residents' opposition to the Japan-U.S. plan to move the facility
within the prefecture ''could make things near to impossible.''
But he added the situation will be ''hard but not impossible.''
In May this year, the two countries agreed that the Futenma facility in a
crowded residential area of Ginowan in the southern prefecture will be moved to
a less densely populated coastal zone in Nago. Candidates opposed to hosting
the replacement facility gained a majority in the Nago city assembly election
last Sunday.
Armitage is said to be one of the main architects of a 1996 agreement between
Japan and the United States on consolidating and reducing U.S. military bases
in Okinawa, including the relocation of the Futenma airstrip.
==Kyodo
2010-09-15 23:09:31
