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<strong><br /></strong><ul><li><strong><keyword id="3658" type="LOCATION" weightage="20" keywordseo="India">India</keyword> and Japan’s defence ministers finalised on holding the first ever <keyword id="6359526" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="20" keywordseo="military">military</keyword> exercise between the two nations. </strong></li><li><strong>While countering <keyword id="1334" type="COUNTRY" weightage="20" keywordseo="China">China</keyword>’s regional territorial ambitions, the move also hedges against the United States failing to contain China’s expansion.<br /></strong></li><li><strong>The two nations will also be initiating a project in robotics and unmanned ground vehicles (UGVs),</strong></li></ul>A transition of power is unfolding within the Asian continent and the growing relations between India and Japan are evidence of that. It’s not that India and Japan haven’t conducted strategic exercises before, but now they’ve collaboratively taken up a new initiative to embark on their <a href="https://indianexpress.com/article/india/india-japan-resolve-to-deepen-maritime-cooperation-5316314/">first-ever joint military exercise</a> that will happen later this year.<br /><br />While, on the surface, it may look like the move comes to counter the rise of China, but it’s also because of United States shifting its regional policy to ‘rebalance Asia’. It doesn’t take away from the fact that territorial nationalism in Asia has definitely served as a catalyst to intensify relations between the two nations.<br /><br />A lot of the credit goes to the Japanese Prime Minister, Shinzo Abe, for revising Article 9 of its constitution earlier this year. The revision allows Japan’s military forces to operate more along the lines of a conventional army. <br /><br /><strong>Addressing China<br /></strong><br />Both countries are grimly aware of China’s military budget shooting up, which is a cause of concern to India because of Arunachal Pradesh and to Japan because of Shenkaku Island. China’s territorial hunger is even more evident because of the recent incursions into Demchok, Ladakh, Chumar and Depsang.<br /><br />Looking at the numbers alone, while in 2010 China already accounted for 28% of Asia’s military spending, it skyrocketed to 38% in 2014. It has been <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/The-15-countries-with-the-highest-military-budgets-in-2017/15-Turkey/slideshow/64007628.cms">increasing</a> ever since.<br /><br />It’s a major concern because China’s DF-21d <keyword id="417287" type="PERSON" weightage="20" keywordseo="anti-ship-ballistic-missile">anti-ship ballistic missile</keyword> can go as far as to target parts of the Arabian Sea and most of the Bay of Bengal aside from the <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/A-new-Chinese-anti-ship-ballistic-missile-is-bad-news-for-US-aircraft-carriers/articleshow/49487860.cms">entirety</a> of the South China Sea.<br /><br />That being said, the military exercise between the two countries can be seen as a multilateral hedge in case the United States fails to control China’s rising influence in, not only regional but also international institutions.<br /><br /><strong>It’s about more than the military<br /></strong><br />During the dialogue between India’s defence minister <keyword id="129243" type="PERSON" weightage="20" keywordseo="Nirmala-Sitharaman">Nirmala Sitharaman</keyword> and her Japanese counterpart, <keyword id="1435328" type="PERSON" weightage="20" keywordseo="Itsunori-Onodera">Itsunori Onodera</keyword>, more than the military exercise were on the agenda. <br /><br />The two countries also initiated a project in robotics and unmanned ground vehicles (UGVs), which also a first for bilateral relations between the two nations. The project will involve the Acquisition, Technology and Logistics Agency from Japan and the Defence Research and Development Organization from India’s side.<br /><br />The issue of the US-2 ShinMaywa amphibious aircraft was also discussed. Though nothing concrete was decided on that front, efforts made by both countries in pushing it forward were noted.<br /><br />The strategic alliance between India and Japan actually goes back as far as the days of Subhas Chandra Bose when Japanese sponsorship was the lynchpin that helped form the Azad Hind Fauj, more commonly known as the Indian National Army (INA). <br /><br />Even with <keyword id="49446" type="PERSON" weightage="20" keywordseo="Pokhran-II">Pokhran-II</keyword> inviting sanctions from Japan that lasted for three whole years, the bilateral ties between the countries are so complementary to each other, that they always resurge after a point. <br /><br />One of the reasons being the shared values towards democracy, open society, human rights, pluralism, and the rule of law.<br /><br />

Indo-Japanese relations hedge against China’s rise with their first ever military exercise

<p><div class="KonaFilter image-container display-table"><div><div class="image on-image"><p class="source"><span>Associated Press/Yong Teck Lim</span></p><p class="caption">From left, South Korea's National <keyword id="6354810" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="100" keywordseo="defense">Defense</keyword> Minister Song Young-moo, U.S. Defense Secretary Jim Mattis and Japan's Defense Minister Itsunori Onodera shake hands before their trilateral meeting at the 17th International Institute for Strategic Studies (IISS) Shangri-la Dialogue, an annual defense and security forum in Asia, in Singapore, Sunday, June 3, 2018.</p></div><p></p></div></div></p><ul><li><strong>US Defense Secretary Jim Mattis warned Sunday that there will be a "bumpy road" ahead of the nuclear summit between the US and North Korea in June.</strong></li><li><strong>Plans are moving forward for a summit between President Donald Trump and North Korean leader Kim Jong Un on June 12 in Singapore.</strong></li><li><strong>Mattis told his South Korean and Japanese counterparts at a conference that they must maintain a strong, defensive stance.</strong></li></ul><p>It will be a "bumpy road" to the nuclear negotiations with North Korea later this month, Defense Secretary Jim Mattis warned Sunday in Singapore, telling his South Korean and Japanese counterparts they must maintain a strong defensive stance so the diplomats can negotiate from a position of strength.</p><p>Mattis was speaking at the start of a meeting with South Korean Defense Minister Song Young-moo and Japanese Defense Minister Itsunori Onodera on the final day of the Shangri-La Dialogue security conference. He said allies must remain vigilant.</p><p>"We can anticipate, at best, a bumpy road to the negotiations," Mattis said. "In this moment we are steadfastly committed to strengthening even further our defense cooperation as the best means for preserving the peace."</p><p>Plans are moving forward for a nuclear weapons summit between President Donald Trump and North Korean leader Kim Jong Un on June 12 in Singapore. And Mattis repeated the US position that North Korea will only receive relief from UN national security sanctions when it demonstrates "verifiable and irreversible steps" to denuclearization.</p><p>Through an interpreter, Song said that this is a great turning point as North Korea takes its first steps toward denuclearization.</p><p>"Of course, given North Korea's past, we must be cautious in approaching this," he added that some of North Korea's recent measures "give us reasons to be positive and one can be cautiously optimistic as we move forward."</p><p>One of those measures included North Korea's recent claim to have destroyed its <span>Punggye-ri</span> nuclear test site - which American journalists were permitted to witness.</p><p>The demolition appeared to be a major concession from Pyongyang and a step toward the US demand for total denuclearization, and it was intended to show that the Hermit Kingdom is taking its negotiations with the US seriously.</p><p>But some of the <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/north-korea-nuclear-test-site-may-not-have-really-been-destroyed-2018-6" target="_blank" rel="noopener">journalists who attended the demolition</a> said they were skeptical - and that since no nuclear experts were permitted to attend, it was difficult for them to discern whether the site's destruction was authentic or superficial.</p><p><em>John Haltiwanger contributed reporting.</em></p>    <div class="margin-top">        <h3>NOW WATCH: <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/spyce-restaurant-uses-robotic-kitchen-cook-food-three-minutes-fast-casual-boston-2018-5">Four MIT graduates created a restaurant with a robotic kitchen that cooks your food in three minutes or less</a></h3>        <div>                    </div>    </div>

Mattis says he's predicting a 'bumpy road' to nuclear negotiations with North Korea this month - and that allies must stay vigilant

<p><div class="KonaFilter image-container display-table float_right"><div><div class="image"><p class="source"><span>Thomson Reuters</span></p><p class="caption">Japan's Defence Minister Onodera reviews troops from the Japanese Ground Self-Defense Force 1st Airborne Brigade during an annual new year military exercise in Funabashi</p></div><p></p></div></div>TOKYO (Reuters) - Japan has ordered a destroyer in the Sea of Japan to strike any ballistic missiles that may be launched by North Korea in the coming weeks after Pyongyang fired a Rodong medium-range missile over the sea, a government source said on Saturday.</p>
<p>Japanese Defense Minister Itsunori Onodera issued the order on Thursday, but did not make it public in order to avoid putting a chill on renewed talks between Tokyo and Pyongyang, the first in more than a year, local media reported earlier.</p>
<p>"The defense minister made the order from April 3rd through to the 25th to prepare for any additional missile launches," the source said.</p>
<p>Onodera, the source said, did not deploy Patriot missile batteries that would be the last line of defense against incoming warheads.</p>
<p>Media reports said the North Korean-Japanese talks in Beijing this week broke no new ground, but ended with an agreement for further meetings.</p>
<p>The firing of the Rodong coincided with a meeting in The Hague between U.S. President Barack Obama and the leaders of South Korea and Japan and followed a series of short-range rocket launches.</p>
<p>The launch appeared to be a show of defiance by North Korea.</p>
<p>The missile fell into the sea after flying 650 km (400 miles), short of a maximum range thought to be some 1,300 km.</p>
<p>Japanese Aegis destroyers in the Sea of Japan are equipped with advanced radar equipment able to track multiple targets and carry missiles designed to take out targets at the edge of space.</p>
<p>(Reporting by Nobuhiro Kubo, writing by Tim Kelly; Editing by Ron Popeski)</p>

Japan Orders Military Strike On Any North Korea Missiles Considered A Threat

<p><div class="KonaFilter image-container display-table"><div><div class="image on-image"><p class="source"><span>Thomson Reuters</span></p><p class="caption">Chief of the General Staff of Russian Armed Forces, Valery Gerasimov, arrives for the opening ceremony of the International Army Games 2017 in Alabino</p></div><p></p></div></div></p><ul><li><strong>Russia's military chief warned that exercises by Japan, the US, and South Korea could create more instability.</strong></li><li><strong>Instead, the general called for the US to enter into talks with North Korea.</strong></li></ul><p>TOKYO (Reuters) - Russia's military chief warned on Monday that military exercises by Japan, the United States and South Korea aimed at countering North Korea only raise hysteria and create more instability in the region.</p><p>Russian Chief of the General Staff of the Armed Forces General Valery Gerasimov, issued his warning in Tokyo as the United States, Japan and South Korea began a two-day exercise to practice tracking missiles amid rising tension over North Korea's weapons programs.</p><p>"Carrying out military training in regions surrounding North Korea will only heighten hysteria and make the situation unstable," Gerasimov said at the beginning of a meeting with Japanese Minister of Defence Itsunori Onodera.</p><p>This week's exercise by the United States and its two Asian allies, in which they will share information on tracking ballistic missiles, comes just days after large-scale drills by U.S. and South Korean forces that North Korea said made the outbreak of war "an established fact".</p><p>North Korea says its weapons programs are necessary to counter U.S. aggression.</p><p>On Nov. 29, North Korea test-fired its latest ballistic missile, which it said was its most advanced yet, capable of reaching the mainland United States.</p><p>China has also repeatedly called for the United States and South Korea to stop their exercises, which North Korea sees as preparation for an invasion.</p><p>Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Lu Kang, asked in Beijing about the latest U.S., South Korean and Japanese drills, said the situation was in a vicious cycle that if followed to a conclusion would not be in anyone's interests.</p><p>"All relevant parties should do is still to completely, precisely and fully implement the relevant U.N. Security Council resolutions toward North Korea, and do more for regional peace and stability and to get all parties back to the negotiating table. Not the opposite, mutual provocation," Lu said.</p><h2>'Important meaning'</h2><p><div class="KonaFilter image-container display-table"><div><div class="image on-image"><p class="source"><span>Thomson Reuters</span></p><p class="caption">File photo of Japan's PM Abe reviewing members of JSDF during the JSDF Air Review to celebrate 60 years since the service's founding at Hyakuri air base in Omitama</p></div><p></p></div></div>Gerasimov's visit to Japan is the first by a senior Russian military official in seven years and follows the resumption of "two-plus-two" <keyword id="6354810" type="ORGANIZATION" weightage="60" keywordseo="Defense">defense</keyword> and foreign minister talks in March after Russia annexed Crimea.</p><p>Relations between Russia and Japan have been hampered for decades over the ownership of four islands north of Japan's Hokkaido, captured by Soviet forces at the end of World War Two. Japan has declined to sign a formal peace treaty with Russia until the dispute is resolved.</p><p>Gerasimov also met Katsutoshi Kawano, the chief of staff of Japan's Self Defence Forces.</p><p>China's Defence Ministry said on Monday it had begun a planned joint simulated anti-missile drill with Russia in Beijing, which had "important meaning" for both countries in facing the threat from missiles. It said the exercise was not aimed at any third party.</p><p>China and Russia both oppose the development of global anti-missile systems, the ministry added in a statement.</p><p>China and Russia both oppose the deployment in South Korea of the advanced U.S. Terminal High Altitude Area Defense (THAAD) anti-missile system.</p><p>China in particular fears the system's powerful radar could look deep into its territory, threatening its security.</p><p>The United States and South Korea say the system is needed to defend against the threat of North Korean missiles.</p><p>It is not clear if this week's exercise by U.S., South Korean and Japanese forces will involve the THAAD system.</p>    <div class="margin-top">        <h3>NOW WATCH: <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/why-some-people-turn-red-drink-alcohol-2017-4">The disturbing reason some people turn red when they drink alcohol</a></h3>        <div>                    </div>    </div>

Russian general warns the US and South Korea over provoking North Korea with military drills

<p><div class="KonaFilter image-container display-table float_right"><div><div class="image on-image"><p class="source"><span><a href="http://pictures.reuters.com/C.aspx?VP3=SearchResult&amp;ALID=2C0FQEJKZDS1#/SearchResult&amp;ALID=2C0FQEJKZDS1&amp;VBID=2C0FC0E3J0TE&amp;POPUPPN=1&amp;POPUPIID=2C0FQEGCBH2J">Reuters/KCNA</a></span></p><p class="caption">North Korean leader Kim Jong Un meets scientists and technicians in the field of researches into nuclear weapons in this undated photo released by North Korea's Korean Central <keyword id="6355005" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="news">News</keyword> Agency (KCNA) in Pyongyang.</p></div><p></p></div></div>North Korea's <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/north-korea-seriously-considering-plan-missile-strike-on-us-military-in-guam-2017-8" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">blatant nuclear posturing</a> and missile tests have <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/trump-north-korea-fire-fury-threats-2017-8" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">evoked an angry response from the US</a> and its neighbors in the Pacific, but as tensions rise it risks spawning an arms race that it would lose badly.</p><p>For the first time in the history of South Korea's military, an air force general has been named chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, a move likely aimed at increasing air superiority and prowess in missile offense and <keyword id="6354810" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="100" keywordseo="defense">defense</keyword>. </p><p>Jeong Kyeong-doo, the new chairman, "is a specialist in joint operations, and we believed he was the best person to counter the North's advancing nuclear and missile threats," a defense ministry official <a href="http://koreajoongangdaily.joins.com/news/article/article.aspx?aid=3036919&amp;cloc=joongangdailyhometop&amp;utm_term=*Situation%20Report&amp;utm_content=buffercc52f&amp;utm_medium=social&amp;utm_source=twitter.com&amp;utm_campaign=buffer" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">told Korea JoonAng Daily</a>.</p><p>Meanwhile, Seoul has <a href="https://www.cnbc.com/2017/07/24/south-korea-looks-to-double-its-firepower-to-counter-rising-threat-from-north-korea.html?view=story&amp;%24DEVICE%24=native-android-mobile" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">asked to talk to the US about revisiting a missile control agreement</a> that limits the payload of its weapons to 500 kilograms, seeking to double it to 1 ton. This would bolster the South's already formidable ability to hit hardened, underground targets like bunkers where Kim Jong Un may hide out in the event of an attack. </p><p>South Korea's main opposition party <a href="http://www.yonhapnews.co.kr/nk/2017/08/09/4807080000AKR20170809067200001.HTML" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">took the calls a step further</a>, saying that Seoul should scrap the 1991 Joint Declaration on the Denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula which forbids it from creating its own nuclear weapons.</p><p>Even Japan - where the population remains resistant to building up military force and all military operations happen under the banner of self-defense - has considered a more aggressive posture towards North Korea. </p><p>"I would like to study if our current missile defense is sufficient," said Itsunori Onodera, Japan's new defense minister, <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2017/08/08/world/asia/north-korea-japan-missile-south.html?_r=0" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">according to the New York Times</a>. </p><p><div class="KonaFilter image-container display-table"><div><div class="image on-image"><p class="source"><span>Lee Jae-Won/Reuters</span></p><p class="caption">South Korea's Hyunmoo-1 ballistic missile is seen during a military parade to mark the 65th anniversary of Armed Forces Day on a street in central Seoul October 1, 2013.</p></div><p></p></div></div></p><p>But unlike North Korea, which has cobbled together a ballistic missile and nuclear weapon program over decades, advanced countries like Japan and South Korea could crack the science behind devastating nuclear weapons much faster.</p><p>Both South Korea and Tokyo have booming tech sectors. Japan has long powered its cities with nuclear reactors. South Korea has an indigenous ballistic missile program mainly restricted in its growth by agreements with the US.</p><p>Additionally, South Korea and Japan wouldn't have to crack intercontinental ballistic missile technology, as North Korea lies on the same continent. Simple short and medium range missiles could hold all of North Korea at risk.</p><p><div class="KonaFilter image-container display-table"><div><div class="image on-image"><p class="source"><span><a href="http://www.marines.mil/News/News-Display/Article/1052138/lightning-ii-strikes-iwakuni-f-35b-arrives/">US Marine Corps</a></span></p><p class="caption">An F-35B Lightning II with Marine Fighter Attack Squadron 121, lands at Marine Corps Air Station Iwakuni, Japan, Jan. 18, 2017. VMFA-121 conducted a permanent change of station to MCAS Iwakuni, from MCAS Yuma, Ariz., and now belongs to Marine Aircraft Group 12, 1st Marine Aircraft Wing, III Marine Expeditionary Force.</p></div><p></p></div></div></p><p>But nuclear proliferation carries heavy risks. Even in the US where nuclear weapons safety is paramount, accidents happen. Simply put, the more nuclear devices on earth, the greater the risk of miscalculation or accident leading to a monumental catastrophe.</p><p>It speaks volumes about North Korea's nuclear brinkmanship that South Korea and Japan, two countries dedicated to peace and security, are even considering such measures.</p>    <div class="margin-top">        <h3>NOW WATCH: <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/sarah-sanders-threatens-end-briefing-amid-transgender-ban-questions-trump-white-house-press-secretary-2017-7">Watch the White House press secretary threaten to end briefing during relentless questioning about transgender ban</a></h3>        <div>                    </div>    </div>

North Korea's nuclear posturing could spur the next arms race - which Pyongyang would lose badly

<p><div class="KonaFilter image-container display-table"><div><div class="image"></div></div></div></p><ul class="summary-list"><li><strong>India and Japan are expected to continue discussing a logistics deal during a summit later this month.</strong></li><li><strong>The deal would allow both of their militaries to access bases and logistical support from the other.</strong></li><li><strong>Both India and Japan have sought to counter China's growing influence in the Indian Ocean region.</strong></li></ul><p>A meeting between Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe later this month may yield more progress on a deal that would allow their armed forces to share military facilities.</p><p>The proposed agreement, likely to be discussed during the 13th India-Japan summit in Tokyo on October 28 and October 29, would increase their security cooperation in the Indo-Pacific region by allowing the reciprocal exchange of supplies and logistical support, according to <a href="https://www.deccanherald.com/national/india-japan-share-military-698413.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener">the Deccan Herald</a>.</p><p>The proposed deal was first discussed when Japan's <keyword id="6354810" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="100" keywordseo="defense">defense</keyword> minister, Itsunori Onodera, met with India's defense minister, Nirmala Sitharaman, in New Delhi in August. It came up again this month during a meeting in Delhi between Modi and Abe's national-security advisers.</p><p><div class="KonaFilter image-container display-table"><div><div class="image"></div></div></div></p><p>Sources with knowledge of preparations for the summit <a href="https://www.deccanherald.com/national/india-japan-share-military-698413.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener">told the Herald</a> that the deal would allow Japan and India to exchange logistical support, including supplies of food, water, billets, petroleum and oil, communications, medical and training services, maintenance and repair services, spare parts, as well as transportation and storage space.</p><p>It's not clear if any agreement would be signed this month, though there are signs India and Japan want to conclude it in the near term, given plans to increase joint military exercises next year and in 2020, according <a href="https://thediplomat.com/2018/10/india-japan-mull-allowing-their-armed-forces-to-use-each-others-military-bases/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">to The Diplomat</a>.</p><p>The deal would <a href="https://thediplomat.com/2018/10/india-japan-mull-allowing-their-armed-forces-to-use-each-others-military-bases/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">not commit</a> either country to military action, but it would allow their militaries - both <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/most-powerful-militaries-in-the-world-ranked-2018-2" target="_blank" rel="noopener">among the most powerful</a> in the world - to access ports and bases run by the other.</p><p>For India, that means it would be able to use Japan's base in Djibouti, which is strategically located at the Horn of Africa between the Suez Canal and the Indian Ocean, overlooking one of the world's busiest shipping corridors.</p><p>In addition to Japanese troops, Djibouti also hosts a major US special-operations outpost at Camp Lemonnier, just a few miles <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/china-troops-to-overseas-base-operational-security-concerns-for-us-2017-7" target="_blank" rel="noopener">from China's first overseas military outpost</a>, which opened in 2017 and which US officials have said raises "very significant operational security concerns."</p><p><div class="KonaFilter image-container display-table"><div><div class="image"></div></div></div></p><p>In turn, Japan would be able to access Indian bases in the Andaman and Nicobar Islands, which sit on important sea lanes west of the Malacca Strait, a major maritime thoroughfare between the Indian and Pacific oceans. (The <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/india-to-buy-submarines-amid-china-naval-activity-in-the-indian-ocean-2017-7" target="_blank" rel="noopener">majority of China's energy supplies</a> currently flow through the Indian Ocean and the Malacca Strait.)</p><p>India <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/india-china-more-us-made-sub-hunting-planes-2018-1" target="_blank" rel="noopener">has started stationing</a> advanced P-8 Poseidon maritime patrol planes and maritime surveillance drones at the Andaman and Nicobar Islands.</p><p>At the summit later this month, Japan is also <a href="https://thediplomat.com/2018/10/india-japan-mull-allowing-their-armed-forces-to-use-each-others-military-bases/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">expected to raise</a> India's potential purchase of 12 Shinmaywa US-2i search-and-rescue and maritime surveillance planes, which would also be stationed at the islands.</p><p>Delhi reached a similar logistical-support deal <a href="https://thewire.in/diplomacy/india-and-france-sign-14-agreements-in-a-move-towards-maritime-cooperation" target="_blank" rel="noopener">with France</a> - which has territories in the southern Indian Ocean and a base in Djibouti - earlier this year and <a href="https://thediplomat.com/2016/05/5-reasons-why-india-agreed-to-a-logistics-agreement-with-the-united-states/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">with the US</a> in 2016. (India and the US <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/us-india-comcasa-deal-improves-ability-to-communicate-and-track-subs-2018-9" target="_blank" rel="noopener">reached another deal</a> on communications and technical exchanges in September.)</p><p><div class="KonaFilter image-container display-table"><div><div class="image"></div></div></div></p><p>Further discussion of an India-Japan logistical-support deal comes as those two countries and others seek to ensure freedom of movement in the Indian Ocean and to counter what is seen as growing Chinese influence there.</p><p>Japan, which, <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/china-india-recalibrating-after-doklam-but-future-conflict-possible-2018-10" target="_blank" rel="noopener">like India</a>, has <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/trump-and-china-japan-launches-sub-with-lithium-ion-battery-2018-10" target="_blank" rel="noopener">territorial disputes with China</a>, has sought to expand its military's capabilities and reach.</p><p>Earlier this month, Japan's largest warship, the Kaga helicopter carrier, sailed into the port at Colombo, in Sri Lanka - a visit meant to reassure Sri Lanka that <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/china-japan-navies-build-ties-with-sri-lanka-amid-fight-for-influence-2018-10" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Japan would deploy military assets</a> to a part of the world where Chinese influence is growing.</p><p>A few days after the Kaga left Colombo, Sri Lanka navy ships were <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/china-india-recalibrating-after-doklam-but-future-conflict-possible-2018-10" target="_blank" rel="noopener">scheduled to conduct exercises</a> with both the Indian and Japanese navies.</p><p>Japan has also expanded its security partnerships with countries around the Indian Ocean and <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/japan-developing-projects-in-indian-ocean-amid-china-india-rivalry-2018-5" target="_blank" rel="noopener">pledged billions of dollars</a> for development projects in the region.</p><p><div class="KonaFilter image-container display-table"><div><div class="image"></div></div></div></p><p>Beijing's activity around the Indian Ocean region is particularly concerning for Delhi.</p><p>China's base in Djibouti, its role in the Pakistani port of Gwadar, its 99-year lease of the Hambantota port in Sri Lanka, and other infrastructure deals with countries in the region have set Delhi on guard, Faisel Pervaiz, a South Asia expert at the geopolitical-intelligence firm Stratfor, told Business Insider earlier this month.</p><p><span style="font-weight: 400;">"India's view is that South Asia's our neighborhood, and if another rival military power is expanding its presence - whether in Bhutan, whether in the Maldives, whether in Sri Lanka, whether in Nepal - that is a challenge, and that is something that we need to address," Pervaiz said.</span></p><p><span style="font-weight: 400;">India's focus is likely to remain on <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/china-india-recalibrating-after-doklam-but-future-conflict-possible-2018-10" target="_blank" rel="noopener">its land borders</a> with rivals China and Pakistan, Pervaiz said, but Delhi has made <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/amid-simmering-tension-with-china-india-is-increasing-naval-strength-2017-11" target="_blank" rel="noopener">moves to bolster its position</a> in the Indian Ocean region - a change in focus that has been called "<a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/china-japan-navies-build-ties-with-sri-lanka-amid-fight-for-influence-2018-10" target="_blank" rel="noopener">a tectonic shift</a>."</span></p><p><span style="font-weight: 400;"><div class="KonaFilter image-container display-table"><div><div class="image"></div></div></div></span></p><p><span style="font-weight: 400;">India is working <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/us-backs-india-plan-for-chabahar-port-amid-increasing-pressure-on-iran-2018-7" target="_blank" rel="noopener">to develop a port at Chabahar</a> on Iran's southern coast, which would provide access to Central Asia and circumvent existing overland routes through Pakistan to Afghanistan.</span></p><p><span style="font-weight: 400;">India is particularly concerned about Chinese submarine activity in the Indian Ocean and has held anti-submarine-warfare <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/r-wary-of-chinas-indian-ocean-activities-us-india-discuss-anti-submarine-warfare-2016-5" target="_blank" rel="noopener">discussions</a> with the US and is seeking to <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/india-to-buy-submarines-amid-china-naval-activity-in-the-indian-ocean-2017-7" target="_blank" rel="noopener">add more subs to its own force</a>.</span></p><p><span style="font-weight: 400;">"For India, the concern now is that although it maintained this kind of regional hegemony by default, that status is beginning to erode, and that extends to the Indian Ocean," Pervaiz said. "India wants to maintain [its status as] the dominant maritime power in the Indian Ocean, but ... as China's expanding its own presence in the Indian Ocean, this is again becoming another challenge."</span></p>

2 of Asia's biggest militaries are working on a deal that could give them an edge over China

<p><div class="KonaFilter image-container display-table float_right"><div><div class="image on-image"><p class="source">AP/Issei Kato</p><p class="caption">Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov, second from left, and Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu, left, pose with Japanese Foreign Minister Fumio Kishida, second from right, and Defense Minister Itsunori Onodera for photographers at the start of their foreign and defense ministers meeting called "two-plus-two" at Iikura guest house in Tokyo Saturday, Nov. 2, 2013. </p></div><p></p></div></div><em><keyword id="6355311" type="COUNTRY" weightage="60" keywordseo="Japan">Japan</keyword> and <keyword id="6358826" type="COUNTRY" weightage="60" keywordseo="Russia">Russia</keyword> agree to deepen trust, continue discussing territorial dispute</em></p>
<p>TOKYO (AP) - Japan and Russia held their first high-level defense and diplomatic talks Saturday and agreed to step up cooperation between their militaries amid regional security concerns such as North Korea and China.</p>
<p>Japanese Foreign Minister Fumio Kishida and Defense Minister Itsunori Onodera, and their Russian counterparts Sergei Lavrov and Sergei Shoigu also agreed to hold joint military and anti-piracy exercises and establish a defense consultation framework. Their countries' defense ties are geared up toward peace and stability in the Asia-Pacific region and would not affect existing alliances, including one between Japan and the U.S., they said.</p>
<p>Lavrov told a news conference after Saturday's talks that upgrading defense ties between the two countries could serve their national interests in resolving terrorism and North Korea's nuclear threats, as well as other regional disputes. He welcomed the talks as a landmark development for Russia and Japan, and said that this new cooperation would not interfere with the Japan-U.S. alliance.</p>
<p>Kishida also said that Japan's alliance with Washington remains "the cornerstone" of Tokyo's foreign and security policy.</p>
<p>Earlier Friday, Japan and Russia agreed to continue discussing a territorial dispute that has kept the nations from signing a peace treaty.</p>
<p>"We need to act constructively. We should not be emotional, and avoid provocative remarks," Lavrov said in Friday's news conference.</p>
<p>The diplomats also agreed to hold vice-ministerial talks in late January or February, ahead of Kishida's planned visit to Russia in the spring.</p>
<p>Lavrov did not mention an attack on Russian missiles in Latakia in Syria. Kishida said he and Lavrov planned to discuss Syria, Iran, Afghanistan and other international issues at Friday's working dinner, which was closed to the media.</p>
<p>Japan is seeking to broaden its defense ties, in addition to its key security alliance with the United States, in response to China's growing military presence and threats from North Korea.</p>
<p>Russia has been expanding its trade ties in Asia and President Vladimir Putin has actively sought closer relations with Japan, partly as a counter to China's rising military power.</p>
<p>Lavrov, however, said that Russia would not commit to friendly relations with one party as a way to antagonize another. He was responding to a question about the significance of the new Japan-Russia defense cooperation to counter China's growing marine presence.</p>
<p>It's unclear how much progress is being made toward a resolution of a dispute over four islands that were seized by Soviet forces at the end of World War II. The dispute has kept the two nations from signing a peace treaty formally ending their World War II hostilities.</p>
<p>Japan and Russia have also stepped up cooperation in developing energy resources, especially liquefied natural gas. Kishida said trade between the two countries totaled a record $33 billion last year, and that further growth is expected this year.</p>
<p>___</p>
<p>Associated Press writer Emily Wang contributed to this report.</p>
<div class="nc_footer">
<p>Copyright (2013) Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.</p>
</div>
<p></p>

Japan And Russia Are Expanding Defense Ties With Eyes On China

<p><div class="KonaFilter image-container display-table"><div><div class="image on-image"><p class="source"><span>REUTERS/Grigory Dukor</span></p><p class="caption">Russian President Vladimir Putin and Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe at a joint news conference after a meeting at the Kremlin in Moscow, May 26, 2018.</p></div><p></p></div></div></p><ul><li><strong>Japan and Russia have never formally concluded World War II because of a festering territorial dispute.</strong></li><li><strong>This month, Russian President Vladimir Putin seemed to spontaneously propose a peace deal.</strong></li><li><strong>Experts think Putin may be "trolling," and Japan seems skeptical of the offer.</strong></li></ul><p>Russian President Vladimir Putin appeared to catch his Japanese counterpart off guard earlier this month, when he offered to sign a peace treaty before the end of the year "without any preconditions" to settle a territorial dispute and finally, formally end World War II.</p><p>The dispute centers on four islands at the southern end of the Kuril chain, which stretches between the northern Japanese island of Hokkaido and the Kamchatka Peninsula in eastern Russia.</p><p><span>Russia occupied the islands at the end of World War II, and while the two countries ended the fighting and restored relations, they <a href="https://www.dw.com/en/vladimir-putin-offers-kuril-islands-peace-deal-to-japans-abe/a-45459525" target="_blank" rel="noopener">never signed</a> a peace treaty because of the territorial dispute.</span></p><p><span><div class="KonaFilter image-container display-table"><div><div class="image on-image"><p class="source"><span>Thomson Reuters</span></p><p class="caption">The Island of Kunashir, one of four disputed islands known as the Southern Kuriles in Russia and the Northern Territories in Japan, December 20, 2016.</p></div><p></p></div></div></span></p><p><span>The islands - Shikotan, Etorofu, Kunashiri, and the Habo­mai islets - are called the Northern Territories by Japan. Abe has <a href="https://www.dw.com/en/can-abe-make-any-headway-in-territorial-row-with-russia/a-38577626" target="_blank" rel="noopener">mounted</a> a serious effort to resolve the issue and loosen Russia's control of the islands.</span></p><p><span>During an economic forum in the far eastern Russian city of Vladivostok last week, Putin seemed to suddenly decide to settle the matter, suggesting it to Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe while both were on stage together.</span></p><p><span>"We have been trying to solve the territorial dispute for 70 years. We've been holding talks for 70 years," Putin <a href="https://www.afp.com/en/news/205/putin-proposes-russia-japan-sign-historic-peace-treaty-doc-1914i33" target="_blank" rel="noopener">said</a> at the forum, which was also attended by Chinese President Xi Jinping.</span></p><p><span>"An idea has just come into my head," Putin added.</span></p><p>"Shinzo said: 'Let's change our approaches.' Let's! Let's conclude a peace agreement, not now but by year's end without any preconditions," Putin said, drawing applause from the audience.</p><p>"It is not a joke," he added.</p><h2>'Facilitate the solution'</h2><p><div class="KonaFilter image-container display-table"><div><div class="image on-image"><p class="source"><span>Google Maps</span></p><p class="caption">Russia and Japan have still not formally ended World War II because of territorial dispute.</p></div><p></p></div></div></p><p>Putin <a href="https://www.afp.com/en/news/205/putin-proposes-russia-japan-sign-historic-peace-treaty-doc-1914i33" target="_blank" rel="noopener">said</a> such a deal could "facilitate the solution of all the problems which we have not been able to solve during the past 70 years."</p><p>Putin seemed to put the cart before the horse, offering to sign a treaty first and then continue working on issues that are in dispute.</p><p><span>"It is planned to sign the peace treaty first, and then, proceeding from relations of peace, friendship and cooperation, reach the needed consensuses," Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov <a href="http://tass.com/politics/1021295" target="_blank" rel="noopener">said</a> later that day.</span></p><p><span><div class="KonaFilter image-container display-table"><div><div class="image on-image"><p class="source"><span>Thomson Reuters</span></p><p class="caption">A Russian vessel off the coast of the Southern Kuril Island of Shikotan, September 14, 2015.</p></div><p></p></div></div></span></p><p><span>Abe <a href="https://www.afp.com/en/news/205/putin-proposes-russia-japan-sign-historic-peace-treaty-doc-1914i33" target="_blank" rel="noopener">acknowledged</a> that Russia and Japan had "a duty to future generations" but was noncommittal on Putin's offer.</span></p><p><span>"Let us walk together mindful of the questions, 'If we don't do it now, then when?' And 'if we don't do it, then who will?'" Abe said. "We are both fully aware that it will not be easy."</span></p><p><span>Abe and Putin did not speak further after their appearance, in part because of the Russian leader's schedule, Peskov <a href="http://tass.com/politics/1021295" target="_blank" rel="noopener">said</a> at the time. (Putin seemed to knock his idea later, <a href="https://www.afp.com/en/news/205/putin-proposes-russia-japan-sign-historic-peace-treaty-doc-1914i33" target="_blank" rel="noopener">saying</a> it was "naive to think that it can be solved quickly.")</span></p><h2><span>'We shouldn't get confused'</span></h2><p><div class="KonaFilter image-container display-table"><div><div class="image on-image"><p class="source"><span><a href="http://www.gettyimages.com/license/630590200">Kent Nishimura/Getty Images</a></span></p></div><p></p></div></div></p><p><span>Japan appears to view the offer with some skepticism.</span></p><p><span>After the proposal was made, Japan's chief Cabinet secretary, Yoshihide Suga, <a href="https://www.afp.com/en/news/205/putin-proposes-russia-japan-sign-historic-peace-treaty-doc-1914i33" target="_blank" rel="noopener">said</a> a peace deal should be signed "after resolving the issue of the attribution of the Four Northern Islands."</span></p><p><span>Abe seemed to wave away the offer during a TV appearance on Sunday. </span></p><p><span>"Japan maintains the basic stance of resolving the territory issue first and then concluding a peace treaty," he <a href="https://www.japantimes.co.jp/news/2018/09/17/national/politics-diplomacy/kremlin-official-says-japan-needs-time-consider-russian-leader-vladimir-putins-unexpected-peace-treaty-proposal/#.W6JaW5NKhTZ" target="_blank" rel="noopener">said</a>."We shouldn't get confused only by some comments."</span></p><p><span>For Japan, the islands are also a <keyword id="6354810" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="100" keywordseo="defense">defense</keyword> issue. </span></p><p><span><div class="KonaFilter image-container display-table"><div><div class="image on-image"><p class="source"><span>Thomson Reuters</span></p><p class="caption">Yuzhno-Kurilsk, the main settlement on the Southern Kuril Island of Kunashir, seen from the ferry Polaris as it approaches port, September 14, 2015.</p></div><p></p></div></div></span></p><p><span>In 2016, Russia deployed anti-ship missiles to two of the disputed islands, and the next year Moscow upgraded an artillery division stationed there. </span></p><p><span>In February, Russia <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/r-japan-says-asked-russia-to-reduce-its-military-activity-on-disputed-islands-2018-7" target="_blank" rel="noopener">cleared the way</a> for the deployment of manned and unmanned aircraft and command systems to an airport on one of the islands, furthering what Japan sees as a militarization effort.</span></p><p><span>"We have asked the Russian side to take particular measures because Russia is building up its military potential on the four northern islands," Japanese Defense Minister Itsunori Onodera <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/r-japan-says-asked-russia-to-reduce-its-military-activity-on-disputed-islands-2018-7" target="_blank" rel="noopener">said</a> in August, after meeting his Russian counterpart in Moscow.</span></p><p><span>Russia has criticized Tokyo for plans to deploy US-made Aegis anti-missile systems in northern Japan. Japan said the systems are to counter North Korean missiles, while Russia <a href="https://www.newsweek.com/russia-criticizes-us-global-missile-shield-japan-ww2-not-ended-moscow-855552" target="_blank" rel="noopener">believes</a> they could have offensive purposes. (At the forum this month, Putin said Russia was "<a href="http://tass.com/politics/1021191" target="_blank" rel="noopener">concerned</a>" about US ballistic-missile defenses in the Pacific.)</span></p><h2><span>'This is called trolling'</span></h2><p><span><div class="KonaFilter image-container display-table"><div><div class="image on-image"><p class="source"><span>Thomson Reuters</span></p><p class="caption">Clouds partly cover the volcano Tyatya on the Southern Kuril Island of Kunashir, September 14, 2015.</p></div><p></p></div></div></span></p><p><span>Officials involved and other experts have cast doubt on the sincerity of Putin's proposal.</span></p><p><span>"This is called trolling. Putin does not expect anything," Georgy Kunadze, who was Russian deputy foreign minister in the early 1990s, <a href="https://www.afp.com/en/news/205/putin-proposes-russia-japan-sign-historic-peace-treaty-doc-1914i33" target="_blank" rel="noopener">told</a> a Russian radio station after the proposal was made. </span></p><p><span>Kunadze added that the offer was a political non-starter for Abe, and Putin too could face backlash at home if he gives up the islands.</span></p><p><span>Alexander Gabuev, head of the Russia in the Asia Pacific Program at the Carnegie Moscow Center, linked the proposal to foundering efforts to stoke investment on the disputed islands.</span></p><p><span>"This appears to be just emotions and an attempt to put pressure rather than anything real," he <a href="https://www.afp.com/en/news/205/putin-proposes-russia-japan-sign-historic-peace-treaty-doc-1914i33" target="_blank" rel="noopener">told</a> AFP.</span></p><p><span>Shigeru Ishiba, a former Japanese defense minister and Abe's rival for leadership of their party, also tried to temper expectations, pointing to Russia's strategic interests.</span></p><p>"Putin's territorial fixation is extraordinarily strong," he <a href="https://www.japantimes.co.jp/news/2018/09/17/national/politics-diplomacy/kremlin-official-says-japan-needs-time-consider-russian-leader-vladimir-putins-unexpected-peace-treaty-proposal/#.W6JaW5NKhTZ" target="_blank" rel="noopener">said</a> during the TV program with Abe.</p>    <div class="margin-top">        <h3>NOW WATCH: <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/the-right-way-eat-sushi-renowned-japanese-chef-nobu-matsuhisa-restaurants-wasabi-2017-12">The right way to eat sushi, according to renowned Japanese chef Nobu Matsuhisa</a></h3>        <div>                    </div>    </div>

Putin made an unexpected offer to Japan to finally end World War II, but he may just be 'trolling'

<p><div class="image-container display-table"><div><div class="image"><p class="source">REUTERS</p><p class="caption">Smoke rises from the site of the <keyword id="5683" type="ENTERTAINMENT" weightage="60" keywordseo="Crash">crash</keyword>, while a CH-46 douses the flames with water.</p></div></div></div>TOKYO (Reuters) - A U.S. <keyword id="6359526" type="COMPANY" weightage="60" keywordseo="Military">military</keyword> <keyword id="46492" type="PERSON" weightage="60" keywordseo="helicopter">helicopter</keyword> crashed on Japan's southern island of Okinawa on Monday, U.S. Forces in Japan said, an incident which may stoke anger over the concentration of U.S. military bases on the island.</p>
<p>The Japanese defence minister said three of the four people onboard were confirmed to have survived the crash, but the U.S. Air Force said in a news release that the condition of at least four people onboard was unknown.</p>
<p>There were no casualties among local residents, a Japanese official said.</p>
<p>Video footage showed smoke rising from a fire on a remote mountainside.</p>
<p><span style="font-size: 15px; line-height: 1.5em;">The air force said an HH-60 helicopter, based in Kadena airbase in Okinawa, crashed in a training area on the U.S. Marines' Camp Hansen and U.S. fire and rescue crews were responding, adding that the helicopter was conducting a training mission at the time.</span></p>
<p>A private broadcaster earlier said that the aircraft was a CH-46 helicopter.</p>
<p><span style="font-size: 15px; line-height: 1.5em;">"This is really regrettable. We are asking the U.S. side for a speedy supply of information," Defence Minister Itsunori Onodera told reporters. "We plan to strongly demand for investigation into the cause of the accident and measures to prevent a recurrence."</span></p>
<p>Prime Minister Shinzo Abe wants to move the U.S. Marines' Futenma airbase to a less crowded part of the island, but stiff opposition from Okinawa residents is stalling the plan.</p>
<p><span style="font-size: 15px; line-height: 1.5em;">Residents of Okinawa, host to the bulk of U.S. military forces in Japan, have long resented bearing what many feel is an unfair share of the burden for the U.S.-Japan military alliance. Many associate the U.S. bases with accidents, crime and pollution.</span></p>
<p>(Reporting by Tokyo bureau; Editing by Nick Macfie)</p>

US Military Helicopter Crashes Inside Camp Hansen, Japan

<p><div class="KonaFilter image-container display-table"><div><div class="image"><p class="source"><span>REUTERS/Alex Wong</span></p><p class="caption">U.S. Secretary of Defense Chuck Hagel (L) shakes hands with Japan's Defense Minister Itsunori Onodera</p></div><p></p></div></div></p>
<p>TOKYO (Reuters) - U.S. Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel said he welcomed the possibility of Japan giving its military a greater role by allowing it to come to the aid of allies under attack.</p>
<p>The comment in an interview with Japan's main financial newspaper, the Nikkei, came ahead of a trip to Japan this weekend and represents the clearest U.S. support yet for Tokyo's effort to bolster its military as it faces off against a more assertive China.</p>
<p>"We welcome Japan's efforts to play a more proactive role in the alliance, including by re-examining the interpretation of its constitution relating to the right of collective self-defense," Hagel said in a written response to the Nikkei.</p>
<p>Hagel visits China, suspicious of Japan's military intentions and where memories of Japan's past militarism run deep, after Tokyo.</p>
<p>Japan has been locked into a security pact for more than half a century that commits the United States to defend Japan should it come under attack. Japan's Self-Defense Forces, however, are not allowed to aid U.S. ships or other military units that are fired upon.</p>
<p>Adopting a policy of collective self-defense is a cornerstone of hawkish Prime Minister Shinzo Abe's policy to bolster the military. His critics say doing so would weaken constraint on using the defense force.</p>
<p>In its postwar pacifist constitution, written by the United States, Japan renounced the right to wage war.</p>
<p>Clear backing for collective self-defense by the United States, which is discussing with Japan ways to update their security pact, may help assuage concern in Tokyo that Washington will favor China as its economic power grows.</p>
<p>Hagel's visit to Japan comes ahead of a planned trip to Tokyo by President Barack Obama later this month.</p>
<p>Japan eased its weapons export restrictions on Tuesday in the first major overhaul of arms transfer policy in nearly half a century in a move that alarmed China.</p>
<p>It came as Sino-Japanese ties have been chilled due to a territorial dispute over a group of East China Sea islets and Abe's visit in December to Tokyo's Yasukuni Shrine, seen by critics as a symbol of Japan's wartime aggression.</p>
<p>(Reporting by Tim Kelly; Editing by Nick Macfie)</p>

US Backs Militarization Of Japan In Response To China

<p><span style="font-size: 15px; line-height: 1.5em;"><div class="image-container float_right click-to-enlarge" style="width:400px"><div class="image"><a title_source="AP" title_caption="" class="zoomin" href="http://static2.businessinsider.com/image/511632bb6bb3f7c744000023-960/ap060906034065.jpg"><span class="click-to-enlarge-icon" title="Click to enlarge"></span></a></div><p class="source">AP</p></div>Within hours of <keyword id="6355311" type="COUNTRY" weightage="60" keywordseo="Japan">Japan</keyword>'s announcement that Chinese ships had locked fire-control radar on Tokyo forces last month, Beijing denied the event occurred at all.</span></p>
<p><a href="http://www.nytimes.com/2013/02/09/world/asia/china-denies-directing-radar-at-japanese-military.html">The New York Times</a> Friday ran <keyword id="1334" type="COUNTRY" weightage="60" keywordseo="China">China</keyword>'s denial:</p>
<p style="padding-left: 30px;"> ... the <keyword id="6354810" type="ORGANIZATION" weightage="100" keywordseo="Defense">Defense</keyword> Ministry Web site said that the naval vessels’ radar had “maintained normal observational alertness, and there was no use of fire-control radar.” It did not explain what it meant by “normal observational alertness,” though the ministry added that the Japanese claims were “out of step with the facts.”</p>
<p style="padding-left: 30px;">Denny Roy, a senior fellow at the East-West Center in Honolulu who researches security issues says. <span style="font-size: 15px; line-height: 1.5em;">“I think it’s a positive development that the Chinese would deny doing this, as opposed to saying, ‘Yes we did it, and we’ll do it again,.'" “For the Chinese to not want to be portrayed as an aggressor, I think, is a good sign.”</span></p>
<p><span style="font-size: 15px; line-height: 1.5em;">Others don't agree and see the confrontation, then backing away, as part of China's design to snare Japan into open conflict. Either way, Japan says the debate on whether it happened may be put to rest with the release of its radar documentation.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-size: 15px; line-height: 1.5em;"><a href="http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-asia-21392248">From the BBC</a>:</span></p>
<p style="padding-left: 30px;"><span style="font-size: 15px; line-height: 1.5em;"><span>Tokyo said it might release the data after Beijing rejected accusations it had targeted the destroyer last month. </span></span></p>
<p style="padding-left: 30px;"><span style="font-size: 15px; line-height: 1.5em;"><span><span>"The government is considering the extent of what can be disclosed," Kyodo news agency quoted Japanese Defence Minister Itsunori Onodera as saying.</span></span></span></p>
<p><a href="http://jen.jiji.com/jc/i?g=eco&amp;k=2013020600936">The Chinese Foreign Ministry originally responded</a> to the allegations by saying it hadn't heard about the engagements until word of the events appeared on international news. It has since said the event didn't happen and is a total Japanese fabrication. Whether it's true or not, <a href="http://www.globaltimes.cn/content/760677.shtml">China is using Japan's claim as evidence Tokyo is preparing for war.</a></p>
<p><span style="font-size: 15px; line-height: 1.5em;">If Chinese ships did engage </span><span style="font-size: 15px; line-height: 1.5em;">their fire-</span><span style="font-size: 15px; line-height: 1.5em;">control radar, it may be in Beijing's interest to deny it because either it approved the maneuver or the ship's captains acted independently—and b</span><span style="font-size: 15px; line-height: 1.5em;">oth scenarios offer a long list of concerns that would be easiest for China to address if avoided entirely.</span></p>
<p>Japan continues pressing the issue and yesterday announced that the use of fire-control radar against its ships is an <a href="http://jen.jiji.com/jc/i?g=eco&amp;k=2013020700468">"act of force" and a direct UN charter violation.</a>"</p>
<p>So if Tokyo releases this data, then it may be the the first official skirmish between the two countries as they feud over islands in the East China Sea.</p>

Japan May Release Radar Data To Prove China's Lying About Radar Incident

<p><div class="image-container float_right" style="width:400px"><div class="image"></div><p class="source">Kazuhiro Nogi/AFP</p></div><keyword id="6355311" type="COUNTRY" weightage="60" keywordseo="Japan">Japan</keyword> will deploy two more patrol ships to boost its defence of islands at the centre of a territorial row with <keyword id="1334" type="COUNTRY" weightage="60" keywordseo="China">China</keyword> and has conducted its first drill simulating the recapture of an isle seized by enemy forces.</p>
<p>The vessels will be stationed at the regional coast guard headquarters which covers the Japanese-controlled <keyword id="439173" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="Senkaku-islands">Senkaku islands</keyword> in the East China Sea, known as the Diaoyus in China, Japanese public broadcaster NHK said.</p>
<p>The 335-tonne "Kurose" and the 3,100-tonne "Chikuzen", equipped with a helicopter, will be deployed in August and October respectively, NHK reported.</p>
<p>On Sunday, Japan's Ground Self-Defense Force carried out the nation's first <keyword id="6359526" type="COMPANY" weightage="60" keywordseo="Military">military</keyword> exercise designed to recapture "a remote island invaded by an enemy force," officials said.</p>
<p>Some 300 troops took part in the 40-minute drill with 20 warplanes and more than 30 military vehicles at the Narashino Garrison in Chiba, southeast of Tokyo.</p>
<p>Some 80 personnel from the SDF's First Airborne Brigade rappelled from helicopters with parachutes in front of some 11,000 spectators to demonstrate manoeuvres to counter an enemy invasion of a remote island.</p>
<p>"We will strengthen the deployment of the Self-<keyword id="6354810" type="ORGANIZATION" weightage="100" keywordseo="Defense">Defense</keyword> Force in response to the tougher security environment surrounding our country," Defense Minister Itsunori Onodera told the military.</p>
<p><div class="image-container click-to-enlarge" style="width:620px"><div class="image"><a title_source="YouTube/yoshirou" title_caption="The " Chikuzen="" class="zoomin" href="http://static3.businessinsider.com/image/50f4257e6bb3f75f1d000010-960/jap-3.jpg"><span class="click-to-enlarge-icon" title="Click to enlarge"></span></a></div><p class="source"><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5Hoi4sGpMT8">YouTube/yoshirou</a></p><p class="caption">The "Chikuzen"</p></div></p>
<p>Chinese government ships and planes have been seen off the disputed islands numerous times since Japan nationalised them in September, sometimes within the 12 nautical-mile territorial zone.</p>
<p>Tokyo's defence ministry has said that F-15s were sent airborne to head off Chinese state-owned -- but not military -- planes four times in December, including an occasion when Japanese airspace was breached.</p>
<p>They were also mobilised in January, it said.</p>
<p>Japan plans to spend an extra 180.5 billion yen ($2.0 billion) on missiles, fighter jets and helicopters, an official said last week, as it tries to strengthen defence capabilities with concerns growing over a rising China.</p>
<p>The announcement came after Prime Minister Shinzo Abe's ruling Liberal Democratic Party said Japan would increase military spending for the first time in 11 years in the next fiscal year starting April.</p>
<div class="nc_footer">
<p><strong>SEE ALSO: <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/china-fighter-jet-flights-diaoyu-senkaku-islands-2013-1#ixzz2HxspHJgv">China Newspaper Says To 'Prepare For The Worst' After Military Confrontation With Japan In The East China Sea</a></strong><span><br /></span></p>
</div>
<p></p>

Japan To Send Two Massive Patrol Ships To The East China Sea

<p><div class="image-container float_right click-to-enlarge" style="width:400px"><div class="image"><a title_source="Chinese Military Review" title_caption="Type 052B Guangzhou class Wuhan (169) guided missile destroyer (click to expand)" class="zoomin" href="http://static6.businessinsider.com/image/50fd2a9deab8ea4d2b000000-960/type-052b-guangzhou-class-wuhan-(170)-guided-missile-destroyers-of-the-people's-liberation-army-navy-(pla-navy)-has-successfully-shot-down-an-incoming-anti-ship-missiles-during-a-naval-exercise.-chinese-navy-missile-fired.jpg"><span class="click-to-enlarge-icon" title="Click to enlarge"></span></a></div><p class="source"><a href="http://chinesemilitaryreview.blogspot.com/2012/02/type-052b-guangzhou-class-wuhan-169.html">Chinese Military Review</a></p><p class="caption">Type 052B Guangzhou class Wuhan (169) guided missile destroyer (click to expand)</p></div>When Chinese and Japanese fighters met for the first time over disputed islands in the <keyword id="418054" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="East-China-Sea">East China Sea</keyword> earlier this month, <keyword id="6355311" type="COUNTRY" weightage="60" keywordseo="Japan">Japan</keyword> promptly declared its right to fire tracers at <keyword id="1334" type="COUNTRY" weightage="60" keywordseo="China">China</keyword>'s jets.</p>
<p>Though met with outrage by China at the time, Japan continues promoting the live firing which Chinese <keyword id="6359526" type="COMPANY" weightage="60" keywordseo="Military">military</keyword> academics are calling the "first shot."</p>
<p>The <a href="http://www.mb.com.ph/articles/390506/japan-tells-china-we-may-fire-warning-shots#.UP0ZqKHHe2Q">Tokyo AP reports</a> Japan believes it's simply following protocol:</p>
<p style="padding-left: 30px;">“Every country has procedures for how to deal with a violation of its territory that continues after multiple cautionary measures,” Japanese <keyword id="6354810" type="ORGANIZATION" weightage="100" keywordseo="Defense">Defense</keyword> Minister Itsunori Onodera said Wednesday when asked if tracer shots would be fired against intruding aircraft that refuse to change course. “We have response measures ready that are consistent with global standards.”</p>
<p>If Japan is using the talk of tracer fire to gauge Chinese reaction, the tactic worked.</p>
<p>The <a href="http://missilethreat.com/pla-navy-in-live-fire-attack-drills-in-east-china-and-south-china-seas/">Chinese Foreign Ministry said Sunday</a> his country is on "high alert" and that Japan and the U.S. are ignoring the fact that "<span>the islands are China’s inherent territory."</span></p>
<p style="text-align: left;"><span><span><div class="image-container float_left click-to-enlarge" style="width:400px"><div class="image"><a title_source="People's Daily Online" title_caption="052 Gun that appears similar to the US Navy's Phalanx weapon (click to expand)" class="zoomin" href="http://static1.businessinsider.com/image/50fd272eeab8eacd1700002a-960/2-455.jpg"><span class="click-to-enlarge-icon" title="Click to enlarge"></span></a></div><p class="source"><a href="http://english.peopledaily.com.cn/102774/8088600.html">People's Daily Online</a></p><p class="caption">052 Gun that appears similar to the US Navy's Phalanx weapon (click to expand)</p></div>Never to be left out, Chinese military academics quoted in Beijing's state-run media provided far more fiery replies:</span></span></p>
<p style="padding-left: 30px; text-align: left;">“Japan’s desire to fire tracer warning shots as a way of frightening the Chinese is nothing but a joke that shows the stupidity, cruelty and failure to understand their own limitations,” Maj. Gen. Peng Guangqian of the Chinese Academy of Military Sciences was quoted saying by the China News Service and other state media.</p>
<p style="text-align: left;">“<strong>Firing tracer bullets is a type of provocation; it’s firing the first shot,” he said. “Were Japan to dare to fire tracers, which is to say fire the first shot, then China wouldn’t stint on responding and not allow them to fire the second shot.”</strong></p>
<p style="text-align: left;">China then <a href="http://english.peopledaily.com.cn/90786/8088534.html">released photos of its East Fleet 052 destroyer</a> during live fire exercises in the disputed area. The maneuvers involved both its East and South Fleets, simulating actual combat scenarios. Including multiple jet fighters and surface vessels, <a href="http://www.scmp.com/news/china/article/1130517/pla-navy-live-fire-attack-drills-east-china-and-south-china-seas">The South China Morning Post</a> reports it as the first time naval air forces employed air-to-air missiles so far out to sea. </p>
<p style="text-align: left;"><span>The second massive drill involving the South Fleet January 8, included <a href="http://www.sinodefence.com/airforce/groundattack/h6.asp">Hong-6 bombers</a> flying eight hour runs while evading radar and electromagnetic interference as they'd encounter in combat. One Beijing based naval expert said the drills would only increase in frequency and scope, and include other factions of the People's Army.</span></p>
<p><div class="image-container float_right click-to-enlarge" style="width:400px"><div class="image"><a title_source="People's Daily Online" title_caption="An impossibly immense muzzle flash off a 5-inch (or so) gun on the 052 Qingdao" class="zoomin" href="http://static4.businessinsider.com/image/50fd279c6bb3f7b915000026-960/3-318.jpg"><span class="click-to-enlarge-icon" title="Click to enlarge"></span></a></div><p class="source"><a href="http://english.peopledaily.com.cn/102774/8088600.html">People's Daily Online</a></p><p class="caption">An impossibly immense muzzle flash off a 5-inch (or so) gun on the 052 Qingdao</p></div></p>
<p style="text-align: left;"><span>That appears to be accurate as China's also announced its army aviation unit of attack helicopters will shift from a logistics mission in preparation for combat.</span></p>
<p style="text-align: left;">The <a href="http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/world/china/China-Japan-island-dispute-Beijing-orders-helicopter-units-to-be-combat-ready/articleshow/18100283.cms">Times of India quotes the PLA Daily</a>, China's official military newspaper:</p>
<p style="padding-left: 30px; text-align: left;"><span><span>The unit will work on major missions such as long-distance tasks, large scale offshore operations, attack coordination with other units and large scale airborne operations, it said, adding that the unit will also aim to improve its operation capability based on IT technologies.</span></span></p>
<p style="text-align: left;">The <a href="http://english.pladaily.com.cn/site2/misc/node_4592.htm">English PLA Daily army section</a> has several announcements related to <a href="http://english.pladaily.com.cn/site2/militarydatabase/2005-12/27/content_373581.htm">its helicopter units</a>, <a href="http://english.pladaily.com.cn/site2/militarydatabase/2006-01/09/content_388995.htm"> their accelerated training</a>, and even troops psychological readiness for "<a href="military%20transportation%20in%20high-tech%20wars">military transportation in high-tech wars</a>".</p>
<p style="text-align: left;">Finally, because war preparation takes many forms, China's Communist Party news site the <a href="http://www.globaltimes.cn/content/748281.shtml">Global Times</a> reports Beijing's new subway lines are fully online and able to withstand chemical, biological, and nuclear attacks. <span style="font-size: 13px; line-height: 1.5em; text-align: left;">The tunnels have gates that form a seal between below ground and the street. </span></p>
<p><div class="image-container float_left click-to-enlarge" style="width:400px"><div class="image"><a title_source="Chinese Military Review" title_caption="Z-10 CGI with weapons array (click to expand)" class="zoomin" href="http://static4.businessinsider.com/image/50fd30f3ecad04e443000004-960/cgi-kit-tool-armed-chinese-z-10-attack-helicopter-gunship-pla-peoples-liberation-army-air-force-export-pakitan-missile-hj10-atgm-rocket-(1).jpg"><span class="click-to-enlarge-icon" title="Click to enlarge"></span></a></div><p class="source"><a href="http://chinesemilitaryreview.blogspot.com/2012/08/chinese-z-10-attack-helicopter-armed.html">Chinese Military Review</a></p><p class="caption">Z-10 CGI with weapons array (click to expand)</p></div>From the <a href="http://www.globaltimes.cn/content/748281.shtml">Global Times</a>:</p>
<p style="padding-left: 30px;"><span>Jiang Hao, an engineer from the 4th Engineer Design &amp; Research Institute of General Staff Department, said that the gates for civil defense have already been used in the subway in cities like Nanjing in Jiangsu Province and Shenyang in Liaoning Province. </span><br /><br /><span>"The new facilities also have other defensive capabilities like emergency communication equipment at each station, which makes effective communication possible during a conflict," Jiang said at the conference.</span></p>
<p>Of course, this may all be a matter of course as China exercises its financial ability and modernizes its military and infrastructure.</p>
<p>But there is little chance the disagreement over the disputed islands will quiet down any time soon with such intransigent claims of ownership coming from both countries. The feud also arrives as Japan's new <span>Prime Minister Shinzo Abe</span>, is eager to demonstrate a more <a href="http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424127887324624404578253402076695608.html">assertive Japanese presence in the area</a>.</p>
<p><span><span>With entirely new regional dynamics at work, it's difficult to say how much of this back-and-forth is posturing, and how much is some kind of mad inexorable WWI-like slide toward the unthinkable.</span></span> </p>

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