On Dec 6, 2017, President Donald Trump announced that the United States formally recognizes Jerusalem as the capital of Israel. A quick look at history tells us that after the 1948 Arab-Israeli War, Israel took control over West Jerusalem (Britain’s… Read More ›

Diaoyu Islands
Japan signs off biggest ever defence budget as tensions rise with China over Senkaku Islands
Tokyo approves 5.05tn yen on defence spending to counter growing Chinese influence in the region. Japan has approved its biggest ever defence budget, as it attempts to counter an increasingly assertive China and push through an unpopular move to relocate… Read More ›
China’s new weapons showcased in September 3 parade, which China says are capable of attacking Japan and Taiwan
The following is based on a translation of a report on a Chinese news site: China’s Huanqiu.com website carries a report on an article on the website of Britain’s Jane’s Defence Review published on September 9 on China’s new weapons… Read More ›
China changes its strategy towards Japan: unrelenting pressure has produced far greater costs than benefits for China
Over the past several months a gradual but significant shift has taken place in China’s policy toward Japan. The change is a result of Beijing’s recognition that its unrelenting pressure on Tokyo since the Japanese Government purchased several of the… Read More ›
Japanese fighter jets have to scramble daily to ward off Chinese incursions
Fighter pilot Jun Fukuda sits edgily on the couch in his flight suit, waiting for the call that sends him sprinting to his jet. On any given day, he will chase and warn off Chinese military planes nearing Japanese airspace…. Read More ›
Confirmed: China is building a military base near Japan
New satellite images have largely confirmed earlier reports that China is building a military base near the Senkaku/Diaoyu Islands that Japan also claims and administers. Last week IHS Jane’s reported that satellite images from October 2014 show that China is… Read More ›
China prepares for war
The following are the views of the original author, and not necessarily those of China Daily Mail: Apart from their frantic dredging and island-building in the South China Sea, China is now also building an air and naval base in… Read More ›
China’s leader is telling the People’s Liberation Army to prepare for war
Chinese President Xi Jinping‘s recent statements have been alarming China’s neighbours. What’s behind them? Over the last several months, Chinese leader Xi Jinping and the Chinese Communist Party have repeatedly exhorted the People’s Liberation Army to “be ready to win… Read More ›
Japanese people hate China more than ever
People in Japan overwhelmingly have a poor opinion of China and vice versa, according to new polls, although Chinese views of Japan have become slightly less chilly. The percentage of Japanese respondents who said they had a negative impression of… Read More ›
China sends warships to escort oil rig to waters claimed by Japan near Senkaku (Diaoyu) Islands
The following is a translation from Chinese media: China’s qianzhan.com says in its report today that China’s Kaixuan-1 oil rig is on its way to the area near the disputed Diaoyu Islands (known as Senkakus in Japan), accompanied by quite… Read More ›
Japan aims to rearrange region’s power balance by confronting China; hopes to offer military aid to Vietnam
Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe laid out an assertive foreign policy agenda, saying he hoped to accelerate maritime aid to Vietnam amid its territorial standoff with China and host Vladimir Putin this year despite the Russian president’s isolation from the… Read More ›
Japan to establish military bases near disputed islands in response to China aggression
Tokyo has reportedly made plans to create new military outposts on remote islands close to disputed territories in an apparent move to bolster Japan’s defence capabilities amid its ongoing territorial rows with China. Some 350 Ground Self-Defence Forces could be… Read More ›
Armed Chinese fighter jets approach within metres of Japanese planes over East China Sea
Chinese fighter jets flew within a few dozen meters of Japanese military planes over the East China Sea, Japanese officials said on Sunday, prompting the defence minister to accuse Beijing of going “over the top” in its approach to disputed… Read More ›
China’s isolation: Beijing has no friends
China has become a global power with extensive outreach to all continents. But it has never been so isolated. Beijing, perhaps blindsided by its military buildup and a perceived decline in U.S. military capabilities, has revived fear and loathing among… Read More ›
Why Japan’s smaller military could hold its own against China
China’s soaring military spending — up 12.3% this year – and aggressive gestures in the region could be setting the scene for major conflict. With various countries feuding over Pacific territory, Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe compared the ratcheting tensions… Read More ›
Chinese admiral to snub Japan at regional meeting because Japan “hurt the feelings of the Chinese people”
The commander of the Chinese navy will refuse to meet Japanese military officials one-on-one at a regional naval symposium in China this week, a navy spokesman was quoted as saying on Sunday, citing what he called hurtful actions by Japanese… Read More ›
Japan to build military station on remote western island, closer to China than Japan’s main islands
Japan is sending 100 soldiers and radar to its westernmost outpost, a tropical island off Taiwan, in a deployment that risks angering China with ties between Asia’s biggest economies already hurt by a dispute over nearby islands they both claim…. Read More ›
Japanese investment in Southeast Asia surged last year to almost three times amount invested in China
Japanese companies‘ investments in Southeast Asia surged last year to almost three times the amount invested in China, after relations between Beijing and Tokyo soured in 2012 and Chinese labor costs rose, a government agency of Japan said on Friday…. Read More ›
Obama looks to salvage Asia ‘pivot’ as allies fret about China
When a Philippine government ship evaded a Chinese blockade in disputed waters of the South China Sea last month, a U.S. Navy plane swooped in to witness the dramatic encounter. The flyover was a vivid illustration of the expanding significance… Read More ›
US tells ‘great power’ China to respect its neighbours; intimidation will not be tolerated
U.S. Defence Secretary Chuck Hagel, on the eve of a trip to China, called on Beijing to use its “great power” responsibly and said he would urge its leaders to respect neighbors increasingly anxious over its posture in territorial disputes…. Read More ›
China’s media says deployment of troops for war with Japan is now complete; waiting for opportune time to attack
The following is a translation from Chinese media: China has completed military deployment for its war with Japan. All its deployments of troops for the war have been carried out in the name of military drills to fool the enemy. China… Read More ›
China gives order to commence war with Japan ‘if it is appropriate to fight’
The following is a translation from Chinese media: Quite a few people have said that the conflict over the Diaoyus (known as Senkakus in Japan) has passed the stage of oral confrontation and what follows may very probably be direct… Read More ›
Chinese media claims: Japan has plans to force down Chinese jets; Chinese jets chase away Japanese jets
The following are translations from Chinese media. First, China claims Japan is planning to force down Chinese jets Chinese media says that, according to Sankei Shimbun’s report on January 29, the Japanese Air Self-defence Force announced on January 28 plans… Read More ›
China needs to build trust, not tensions, says Japan’s PM
Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe said China’s continued economic growth will require building trust, not tensions, with other countries, according to an interview broadcast on Sunday. A steady Chinese military buildup over the last 20 years is a serious concern… Read More ›
China steps up appeal to West in Japan propaganda battle
Reuters says in its report today that China is stepping up its propaganda against Japan in the West. The following is the full text of its report: China took reporters on Thursday on an unusual trip to a camp which… Read More ›
China takes propaganda war with Japan to United Nations
China took its propaganda war with Japan to the United Nations on Wednesday, questioning Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe‘s motives for visiting a controversial war shrine and calling on him to correct his “erroneous outlook” on history. Abe’s December 26… Read More ›
U.S. – China Security Perceptions Survey; a prelude to the Great War of 2014?
This is a mistake since internal public opinion can vector the range of options available to government and national elites in reaction to incidents such as the recent close encounter between the USS Cowpens and the escorts of China’s carrier Liaoning in international waters.
China’s hypocrisy, shamelessness and paranoia
The opinions expressed in this article are those of the author, and not necessarily those of China Daily Mail. I refer to the report of AFP, “China slams Japan defence spending plan”, December 22. According to the said article: “China… Read More ›
US defies China by flying over East China Sea without notification
Two unarmed U.S. B-52 bombers on a training mission flew over disputed islands in the East China Sea without informing Beijing, Pentagon officials said on Tuesday, defying China’s declaration of a new airspace defence zone in the region. The flight… Read More ›
China bolsters East China Sea claim, warns of ‘defensive measures’
China on Saturday bolstered its claim to islands that Japan says it owns, warning that it would take “defensive emergency measures” against aircraft that failed to identify themselves properly in airspace over them. Ties between the Asian powers have been… Read More ›
Japan to be more assertive against China
Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, in an interview published on Saturday, said Japan was ready to be more assertive in guarding against what he said might be an attempt by China to use force to attain its diplomatic goals. But a… Read More ›
China’s military warns U.S. not to support Japan
China‘s military told the United States this week not to support Japan, nor let it do as it pleased, over a group of disputed islands in the East China Sea, the Chinese Defence Ministry said on Friday. Ties between the… Read More ›
China warns Japan against stationing workers on disputed isles
China said it would not tolerate provocation after Japan’s top government spokesman said on Tuesday Japan might station government workers on disputed islands in the East China Sea to defend its sovereignty. Relations between the world’s second- and third-biggest economies have… Read More ›
China tired of Japan’s “empty talk” and refuses leaders’ meeting to discuss disputed islands
Japan’s Prime Minister Shinzo Abe has been calling for more dialogue with Beijing since he came to office in December 2012, the same month a Chinese government plane violated Japan’s airspace over the Senkaku and Diaoyu islands. China had been… Read More ›
Chinese hatred of Japan; real or government-created?
“On this day in 1945, Japan announced unconditional surrender.” The official account of China Central Television posted this information on Weibo, one of China’s largest social media platforms, and it quickly spread. Three trending posts, with a combined 236,000 retweets, identified the… Read More ›
China’s new ships seen near Senkaku Islands
Chinese coast guard ships were spotted Wednesday for the first time near disputed islands controlled by Japan following a reorganisation of the service to boost Beijing’s ability to enforce its maritime claims. Japan’s coast guard said four Chinese craft were… Read More ›
Japan to increase China tensions by nationalising islands
Japan may nationalise hundreds of unclaimed islands off its coast in a bid to bolster its territorial claims, reports said, in a move that could complicate already simmering relations with China over existing maritime disputes. Quoting government sources, the Yomiuri… Read More ›
China not disputing Japan’s sovereignty over Okinawa
China does not dispute Japanese sovereignty over Okinawa and recent comments in Chinese newspapers merely reflects the views of some academics, a senior Chinese military leader said on Sunday. “China’s position has not changed… Scholars can put forth any idea… Read More ›
China calls Japanese leaders ‘petty burglars’
Piqued over Japan’s warm ties with India, an influential Chinese daily said New Delhi‘s wisdom lies in dealing with its disputes with Beijing calmly, undisturbed by “internal and international provocateurs“. As Prime Minister Manmohan Singh undertook a visit to Tokyo amid reports of defence deals between the two… Read More ›
China supports Ryukyu independence organisation; Japan no longer a friendly neighbour
On May 15, huanqiu.com says in its report “Formal establishment of organisation for Ryukyus independence” that on May 15, local politicians, professors, social activists and citizen organisations in Okinawa established an association to study the national independence of Ryukyus in… Read More ›
China’s stealth wars of acquisition
In the way China made land grabs across the Himalayas in the 1950s by launching furtive encroachments, it is now waging stealth wars – without firing a single shot – to change the status quo in the South and East… Read More ›
China criticises Japan’s protest over question of Okinawa sovereignty
China criticised Japan on Thursday for lodging a diplomatic protest against a Chinese state media commentary calling into question Japanese sovereignty over the southern Ryukyu Islands, which include Okinawa. The latest angry exchange could further strain tense relations between Asia’s… Read More ›
China tests ships near disputed islands
Three Chinese ships entered waters near the disputed Senkaku islands, known as Diaoyu in Chinese, and recognised by Japan as its territory. The Chinese met with Japanese coast guard ships patrolling the area. The Chinese ships were inside the 12… Read More ›
China protests over Japanese officials visiting war shrine and activists visiting Senkaku Islands
A group of lawmakers including Japan’s ruling Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) lawmaker Hidehisa Otsuji (front 3rd L), Japan Restoration Party member Takeo Hiranuma (front L) and LDP member Sanae Takaichi (front 2nd L) are led by a shinto priest as… Read More ›
China points finger at U.S. over Asia-Pacific tensions
China‘s defence ministry made a thinly veiled attack on the United States on Tuesday for increasing tensions in the Asia-Pacific by ramping up its military presence and alliances in the region, days after the top U.S. diplomat visited Beijing. China… Read More ›
Japan shocks China on Senkakus
Japan gives priority to Senkakus issue over fishing interests. It will continue to face territorial claims from China and Taiwan, despite having knocked a wedge between them by making concessions to Taipei in a fishing agreement over waters surrounding the disputed… Read More ›
China ‘extremely concerned’ about U.S.- Japan island talk
Japan and the United States have started talks on military plans in case of armed conflict over a group of East China Sea Islets claimed by Tokyo and Beijing, Japanese media said on Thursday, prompting China to complain of “outside… Read More ›
Under Xi, China seeks to cool row with Japan over islands
In a break from months of sabre rattling, China under new President Xi Jinping appears to be moderating its approach to a potentially explosive territorial dispute with Japan and taking measures to prevent accidental conflict. Ahead of Xi’s appointment last… Read More ›
Children, money and international relations between China and Japan
One of the things that I find very interesting is the field of international relations. I love to read about different cultures, histories, and how different groups, systems, and cultures interact with others. Throughout the course of my 25 year… Read More ›
China may survey and set marks on disputed Senkaku Islands
In an interview with The Beijing Times reporter yesterday, CPPCC (China People’s Political Consultative Conference, a consultative organisation to the party) member Li Mingde, deputy chief of National Administration of Surveying, Mapping and Geoinformation, said that the map of the… Read More ›