China-Japan Dispute



Chinese Yuan-class Submarine
(Sasebo Naval Base, Japan)

Foreign submarines have been spotted unusually close to Japanese turf three times this month, raising concerns that China is escalating a territorial dispute and flexing its sea might.

The subs were spotted just outside Japan’s territorial waters off the coast of Okinawa and the southern Japanese prefecture of Kagoshima. Japanese officials have either declined to comment on the vessels’ nationality or said it is not yet known; Japanese media are reporting they are Chinese.

The submarines did not infringe on Japan’s sovereignty but were traveling in a zone where it has economic rights – and were close enough to draw Tokyo’s ire. Prime Minister Shinzo Abe told legislators last week — before the latest incident Sunday — that the use of force is an option. He said the country involved “needs to understand to never take such action.”

Heh.