TOKYO: Japan sees the South China Sea as critical to the rule of law, and to freedom of navigation and trade.
However, the vast waters spanning some 3.7 million square kilometres and shared by China, Malaysia, Taiwan, the Philippines, Vietnam and Brunei also represent a significant security challenge for the country, the policy research arm of its defence ministry said.
Tomotaka Shoji, head of the regional studies department at the National Institute for Defense Studies, said the South China Sea is critical to Japan’s trade and energy supply, with almost 90% of oil exports to Japan passing through the maritime route.
“Japan is a non-claimant in the South China Sea, but it is certainly a stakeholder. The situation there will have implications to the security of the East China Sea, in terms of how China addresses maritime issues,” he said.
Tokyo will want to enhance its defence cooperation with Asean nations, and is also seeking an increase in its defence budget by 50% over the next five years.
However, Shoji said the Japanese government expects some opposition to the request from lawmakers and taxpayers including as to how the budgetary allocations should be distributed.
“But this is a fact: we are facing a lot of security challenges, particularly in our island areas. In this regard, we can say that our security strategy is quite a serious matter,” he said.
Shoji said while joint military exercises with like-minded countries may not do much to deter foreign powers, he maintained they were necessary.
These partnerships are not confrontational but serve to demonstrate the respective nations’ commitment to defending its priorities and interests based on international law, he said.
“China might not be deterred, but we must continue. And the Chinese side might change, not really due to external pressure or environment, but domestically, like domestic politics.”
A major source of those challenges involve China’s expanding maritime influence over the Asia Pacific.
China claims sovereignty over almost the entire South China Sea and has been involved in territorial disputes and intrusions, which has strained ties with neighbouring countries, including the Southeast Asian nations of the Philippines, Vietnam and Malaysia.
A recent incident involving the Philippines last month took an unfortunate twist, leading to the deaths of three fishermen.
The economic powerhouse has also encroached into parts of Malaysia’s exclusive economic zones (EEZs) near Sabah and Sarawak. In 2016, the Permanent Court of Arbitration ruled in favour of the Philippines, dismissing China’s claims over strategic reefs and atolls situated in disputed waters.
Rising tensions in Japan’s waters
Japan has also constantly been forced to fend off Chinese Coast Guard (CCG) vessels, specifically in its territorial waters near the Senkaku Islands in the East China Sea.
However, Japan does not consider the five uninhabited islets and three rocks at its southern tip the subject matter of dispute, and considers China’s claim to the area a non-issue.
Despite this, incidents of Chinese intrusion into Japan’s territorial waters and its EEZ around the Senkaku Islands have been steadily rising over the years, almost in tandem with China beefing up its maritime assets and resources.
During a trip organised by Japan’s foreign affairs ministry, the Japan Coast Guard (JCG) told FMT that CCG vessels were spotted within the contiguous zone around Senkaku on 336 days last year.
Contiguous zones are a nation’s maritime areas that go beyond its territorial waters. Countries have limited jurisdiction for customs, immigration and fiscal enforcement over these zones.
JCG press chief Hiromune Kikuchi said CCG vessels had also intruded into Japan’s territorial waters 28 times in 2022, and 31 times so far this year, with the most recent incidents taking place five days in a row earlier this month.
Kikuchi said that, in 2012, the JCG had 51 vessels weighing 1,000 tonnes or more, while their Chinese counterpart only had 40. This has changed drastically over the past decade, with CCG now boasting the use of 157 vessels, while JCG has 71.
A Japanese defence ministry official also said some Chinese Coast Guard vessels appear to be equipped with the same kind of firepower as its military ships, underlining the muscle in China’s fleet.
Unlike China, Japan’s coast guard does not have military capabilities but only acts as a policing agency for the Japanese coasts, said Kikuchi.
“The Japan Coast Guard has been able to make those (Chinese) vessels withdraw each time, but China is increasing its frequency and capabilities,” he said. “There’s some major concern that something (more threatening) might happen.”
East Asian maritime safety a shared responsibility
In an effort to safeguard their respective coastal waters JCG has forged collaborations with several nations including with its closest ally, the United States, the Philippines and Malaysia.
It has also been conducting joint training exercises with the Philippines’ coast guard and taking part in countermeasures against illegal, unreported and unregulated fishing with Malaysia, including through the provision of loudspeakers to the Malaysia Maritime Enforcement Agency (MMEA) to warn off illegal fishers.
“Asia’s maritime safety cannot be secured only by the Japanese coast guard,” said Kikuchi.
Similarly, the Japanese defence ministry official said: “Partnerships and collaborations seem to be the best way forward for Japan to keep China in check.”
During a recent two-day visit to Kuala Lumpur this month, Japan’s prime minister Fumio Kishida described Malaysia as having “an important role in regional peace and security”.
During an earlier visit to the Philippines, Kishida said a trilateral cooperation between the US, the Philippines and Japan was in the works to “protect the freedom of the South China Sea”.
Source : FMT
