Tokyo-Delhi axis irritates Beijing, which sets broader sights on the South and East China Seas
Beijing (AsiaNews/Agencies) - The East China Sea continues to be at the centre of a bitter dispute between Beijing and Tokyo. This morning, Chinese ships sailed near the disputed Senkaku/Diaoyu Islands, fuelling tensions between the two countries already at loggerheads over their maritime borders.
The Chinese incursion, which included some Navy ships and an aircraft, coincided with a visit by Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe in New Delhi, where he met with his Indian counterpart Manmohan Singh.
During talks, the two leaders have discussed the economy and cooperation as well joint naval exercises.
Yesterday, Prime Minister Abe was a guest of honour at celebrations marking India's Republic Day.
The two governments also signed cooperation and investment agreements worth billions, boosting Tokyo's position in India. At present, Japan is already the South Asian nation's fourth-largest investor.
"The partnership between a strong and economically resurgent Japan and a transforming and rapidly growing India," Singh said in a statement.
Whilst avoiding any public mention of the dispute over the Diaoyu/Senkaku Islands, Abe noted that the "security environment of the Asia-Pacific region is becoming ever more severe".
In Beijing, authorities have followed the Indo-Japanese summit with growing concern and irritation over a possible axis between Japan (supported by the United States) and India, with which it is also embroiled in territorial disputes.
In the latest sign of Beijing's territorial assertiveness in the South China Sea, three Chinese Navy ships on Sunday sailed near the James Shoal, an area also claimed by Malaysia. Soldiers and officers on board these ships swore to safeguard Chinese sovereignty in the area.
In a report by China's official news agency Xinhua, the fleet commander "urged soldiers and officers to always be prepared to fight, improve combat capabilities and lead the forces to help build the country into a maritime power".
This comes on top of existing tensions with Vietnam and the Philippines over the Paracel and Spratly Islands.
Meanwhile, Beijing is preparing to lead an international mission to search for oil and natural gas in the South China Sea. The first 62-day international scientific ocean drilling expedition led and sponsored by the mainland sails from Hong Kong tomorrow into the South China Sea.
The scientific team, which includes 31 geologists (13 from mainland China) from 10 countries and regions, will drill at three sites, looking for sediment and rock cores to assess tectonic evolution and pave the way to map oil and natural gas fields.
In the East China Sea, China and Japan have been embroiled in a long-standing dispute over sovereignty of the Senkaku/Diaoyu Islands.
In the South China Sea, China and the Philippines have also been involved in a similar dispute over the Scarborough Shoal.
In the same area, Beijing also claims sovereignty over the Spratly and Paracel Islands, which are equally claimed by Vietnam, Brunei, Philippines, Malaysia and Taiwan.
The islands are mostly uninhabited but rich in natural resources and raw materials.
Hegemony in such an area is crucial for trade and seabed oil and natural gas development. Also, about two thirds of the world's maritime trade transit through it.
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12/02/2016 15:14
20/08/2004
