China, Vietnam, the Philippines, Japan and Taiwan are among the many countries fighting for fishing rights in the South and East China Seas—but at the rate fish stock is being killed by pollution and over-fishing, there won’t be much left for the victors anyway.
In the East China Sea—home to the Senkaku/Diaoyu islands claimed by Japan and China—about 70% of fish stocks were harvested in previous years, but the figure is now over 90%. China began a 10-week fishing moratorium in most parts of the South China Sea last month in an attempt to allow fish stocks to recover, but other countries claiming the same territory have not been willing to set aside their nets.
Tag Archives: Japan
A race to colonize shoals in the South and East China Seas will destroy the very fishing stock Asia is fighting over – Quartz
Posted by Matt
on June 14, 2013
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‘We Face a Very Serious Chinese Military Threat’ | Foreign Policy
Posted by Matt
on June 11, 2013
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FP: How worried are you that China and Japan would, or will, go to war?
SM: I don’t think China will declare war and attack the Senkakus with a Chinese military landing force. However, they intend to demonstrate their sovereignty over the islands. A Chinese official ship may capture our fishing boats, within the territorial waters of Senkakus.Or maybe they will send official ships and fishing boats within the territorial waters, and some small unit would land on the Senkakus and stake the Chinese flag — the same behavior they do in the South China Sea.
Our basic position is not to provoke China, and to be very calm, and very patient, in order to protect our territory. I think this kind of official behavior will continue a long time. But there is nothing we can do.
‘We Face a Very Serious Chinese Military Threat’ – Interview By Isaac Stone Fish | Foreign Policy
Beware the risk of a Chinese financial crisis
Posted by Matt
on June 7, 2013
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The risks are growing that China, which underwrites the Australian economy, will succumb to a financial crisis. This has not sunk in for Australian policymakers, perhaps because the implications are just too large, but it is the view that is forming among a large number of investors and economists who watch the data and investigate ground-level conditions closely.
There are huge uncertainties but, at face value, it looks like China is in the midst of one of history’s great credit expansions – bigger than Japan’s at the height of its bubble – and all that money is no longer generating growth in gross domestic product. The accelerator is pressed to the floor, the tank is getting low but the wheels are not getting traction like they used to.
The problem for China is that if it does succumb to a financial crisis, then it will be at increasing risk of revolution.
China’s revolution likely to come from economic crisis – The Japan Daily Press
Posted by Matt
on May 14, 2013
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As the ongoing territorial row between Japan and China continues with no end in sight, the nations’ joint economy is often said to be the greatest victim. With many Japanese companies, most notably in the auto industry, pulling their manufacturing operations out of China and moving to other locations in Asia, so as not to get caught up in political tensions, many say that China still holds too many of the economic cards, what with its lockdown on producing so many of the world’s goods. But one analyst believes China may see a revolution in the next 10 years, triggered not with violence and weapons, but rather an economic deterioration.
China’s revolution likely to come from economic crisis – The Japan Daily Press
What does “within 10 years” mean? It doesn’t mean 10 years from now. It could be 10 years, but it could also be a few years from now. One bad sign indicating it is closer is the number of protests each year.
Senkaku Islands Dispute: How China Could Spark the Next Big War
Posted by Matt
on May 4, 2013
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It is commonly acknowledged that a single blunder or incident now could further incite either China or the coalition of Asian states that oppose it to declare war on one another. However, the strange thing is that this is without a doubt the opposite of what is in their collective interests. China’s booming economy is largely a result of trade relations with the greater South East Asian region, and the various nations that fall within that area rely greatly upon their business with China to keep them going. Above all, the flourishing shipping routes that criss-cross the South China Sea bring wealth to everyone in the region, and they must not be disturbed. A war would endanger regional wealth and prosperity and leads many to wonder why China, Malaysia, Taiwan, Japan or the Philippines would risk it.
Senkaku Islands Dispute: How China Could Spark the Next Big War
Japan threatens China in island dispute | News24
Posted by Matt
on April 23, 2013
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Prime Minister Shinzo Abe vowed to “expel by force” any Chinese landing on the archipelago in the East China Sea.
“We would take decisive action against any attempt to enter territorial waters and to land” on the islands, Shinzo Abe told parliament in response to questions from lawmakers, adding: “We would never allow” a landing.
“It would be natural for us to expel by force if [the Chinese] were to make a landing,” he said.
Japanese and Chinese Boats Converge on Contested Islands – NYTimes.com
Posted by Matt
on April 23, 2013
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Festering tensions between Japan and China flared anew on Tuesday as Beijing and Tokyo sent vessels to monitor a flotilla of boats carrying Japanese nationalists that sailed near islands in the East China Sea that both nations claim as their own.
The episode was the latest in a potentially dangerous dance being played out over the islands, which Japan nationalized last September, igniting anti-Japanese protests in China.
Japanese and Chinese Boats Converge on Contested Islands – NYTimes.com
China Says New North Korea Nuclear Test Possible – ABC News
Posted by Matt
on April 22, 2013
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China’s top general said Monday that a fourth North Korean nuclear weapons test is a possibility that underscores the need for fresh talks between Pyongyang and other regional parties.
Chief of the General Staff Gen. Fang Fenghui said Beijing firmly opposes the North’s nuclear weapons program and wants to work with others on negotiations to end it. He said Beijing’s preference is for a return to long-stalled disarmament talks involving the two Koreas, China, Russia, Japan and the U.S.
