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Japan extends military reach in disputed East China Sea
Japan has switched on a radar station in the East China Sea, giving it a permanent intelligence-gathering post close to Taiwan and a group of disputed islands, in a move that will antagonise Beijing.The new base on the island of Yonaguni is at the western extreme of a string of Japanese islands in the East China Sea, 150km (90 miles) south of the disputed islands known as the Senkaku islands in Japan and the Diaoyu in China. China has long claimed most of the South China Sea, though some areas are also claimed by Philippines, Vietnam, Malaysia, Taiwan and Brunei. Japan has been mired for many years in a territorial dispute with China over the East China Sea islands. “Until yesterday, there was no coastal observation unit west of the main Okinawa island. It was a vacuum we needed to fill,” said Daigo Shiomitsu, a lieutenant colonel who commands the new base on Yonaguni. “It means we can keep watch on territory surrounding Japan and respond to all situations.” Shiomitsu on Monday attended a ceremony at the base with 160 military personnel and about 50 dignitaries. Construction of some buildings, which feature white walls and traditional Okinawan red-tiled roofs, is still unfinished. The 30 sq km (11 sq mile) island is home to 1,500 people, who mostly raise cattle and grow sugar cane. The base contingent and family members will increase the population by a fifth. “This radar station is going to irritate China,” said Nozomu Yoshitomi, a professor at Nihon University and a retired major general in the Japanese military. In addition to being a listening post, the facility could be used a base for military operations in the region, he added. Posted by: Steve White 2016-03-30 |
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