News China calling Japan selfish over island claims

[thomas]

The kettle and the pot...

A spokesperson for the Chinese Foreign Ministry has called Japan 'selfish' over its claims over Okinotorishima (沖ノ鳥島) which China says is just a reef that doesn't entitle Japan to claim a 200 nautical mile exclusive economic zone. The chutzpah!

Photo credit: WikiPedia

Sounds familiar? Perhaps Japan should just pour millions of tonnes of concrete over the reef and build a runway...

The uninhabited territory consists of low-lying rocks that have been augmented with concrete by Japan, in a precursor to similar but more ambitious projects undertaken by China in the South China Sea. Tokyo's local government, which administers Okinotori, says the associated exclusive economic zone amounts to 420,000 square kilometers (162,000 square miles), larger than Japan's total land mass. Recognition of Japan's claims could potentially constrain China's naval activities in the area. Beijing has stepped up surveys of surrounding waters and its scholars recently published a number of reports disputing Japan's analysis, according to the Sankei newspaper. "China might feel that it's got the international law on its side," said Euan Graham, a senior fellow at the International Institute of Strategic Studies, who called Japan's claims over the waters around Okinotori "laughable. Clearly it is cherry picking the things that embarrass the countries that it wants to embarrass and there is a clear double standard with what it's doing in the South China Sea," he added, referring to China.

Source: China Blasts 'Selfish' Japan for Claiming Vast Area of Pacific Near Taiwan

 

[johnnyG]

Japan should just pour millions of tonnes of concrete over the reef and built a runway...

I think they should go with that.

And, once it had been started and progress made, after the logistics and other important aspects of such a project had been smoothed out and assimilated, quickly do the same thing to the senkaku islands.

 

[thomas]

And, once it had been started and progress made, after the logistics and other important aspects of such a project had been smoothed out and assimilated, quickly do the same thing to the senkaku islands.

Apart from all ecological concerns, I think they should start developing the Senkakus. The Chinese prospectors are lurking in the wings.

 

[Petaris]

I would hate to see a reef turned into a concrete anything. Maybe they could make a small research post though and that might be enough to support their claim while preserving the reef.

They could study the reef and its life, study the effects of global warming or ocean pollution, or even just study ways of pissing off China. Maybe all of them at once. ;P

 

[Uncle Frank]

For years people around the world have been buying products from China. They now have more money than they know what to do with. They are expanding their military capabilities like crazy , especially their navy and space sat systems. They are buying up property all over the world , especially in Africa. It's only a matter of time before they are ready to take back Taiwan and dare anyone to stop them. If there is ever a WWIII , I believe China will bring it about. I'm hoping I don't live long enough to see what's coming with them in the future. I don't believe even the fear of nuke war will scare them.