News Japan expands continental shelf eastward

Japan extended the designation of its continental shelf to the eastern part of islands approximately 1,000 kilometres south of Tokyo on Saturday, enabling the resource-poor country to begin research on extracting maritime natural resources such as rare metals from the region. A revised Cabinet order took effect, designating a significant portion of the Ogasawara Plateau sea area as part of its continental shelf, around 120,000 square kilometres. This move to enlarge the shelf has triggered opposition from China. Yoshifumi Matsumura, minister for ocean policy, stated on June 25, when the Cabinet approved the expansion, that the expanded continental shelf represents around half of Japan's Honshu main island area. He also mentioned that Japan could exercise its sovereign rights to explore the continental shelf and develop natural resources. The government confirmed the existence of a cobalt-rich crust, including rare metals, in the region, noting that cobalt is used for electric vehicle batteries.

To have its continental shelf recognized beyond its exclusive economic zone, Japan needed the approval of an institution established under the U.N. Convention on the Law of the Sea on the continuity of the seabed topography and agreement from relevant countries, which in this case was solely the United States. Following consultations with Washington, Japan set the area for expansion in December 2023. China has criticized Japan's move. Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Mao Ning said on 27 June that the expansion "contravenes the stipulations of U.N. Convention on the Law of the Sea and universal practice." Rare earth minerals are crucial for high-tech products such as batteries and semiconductors. China, a major producer of them, has apparently been seeking to dominate industries where it already holds a large market share and to boost its economic clout in growing sectors that rely on such materials, experts said.

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Rare earth minerals are essential for high-tech products like batteries and semiconductors. Experts suggest that China, a leading producer, has been aiming to dominate industries with a significant market share and enhance its economic influence in emerging sectors dependent on these materials. Due to financial security concerns, Japan has been intensifying its efforts to secure supplies of these resources. According to U.N. law, a coastal state can claim control of the seabed beyond the traditional 200-nautical-mile limit for exclusive economic use if it can demonstrate that the ocean floor is connected to its continental shelf.

That's nowhere near China. And there's no disputed islands near there.

Isn't it funny how China insists on international laws and treaties when they seem to serve their purposes but conveniently ignore international court decisions when they contradict their ludicrous claims, like in the South China Sea?

Veering off to the south china sea, I thought this offered a different take on history--a Nikkei opinion/POV piece, but you might get is as a free initial article:

"Western governments and commentators ridicule Beijing for the "nine-dash line" it draws on maps to demarcate the large swath of the South China Sea it considers its own. But Beijing's line derives from the even more expansive "11-dash line" that the ROC drew back in 1947."

thomas said:

Isn't it funny how China insists on international laws and treaties when they seem to serve their purposes but conveniently ignore international court decisions when they contradict their ludicrous claims, like in the South China Sea?

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Japan does exactly the same thing. If China had similarly expanded its continental shelf, it would have been denounced as an act of land (or sea) grabbing. Who is right depends on which side you are on in these cases. I'm not taking sides here, just pointing out the ludicrousness of doing so.

Lothor said:

Japan does exactly the same thing. If China had similarly expanded its continental shelf, it would have been denounced as an act of land (or sea) grabbing. Who is right depends on which side you are on in these cases. I'm not taking sides here, just pointing out the ludicrousness of doing so.

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Of course, you are correct in principle.

However, Japan's claims do not interfere with other nations' claims in that particular case. China has territorial disputes with Taiwan, Vietnam, Malaysia, Indonesia, the Philippines, Brunei, and Japan and creates faits accomplis in the South China Sea by occupying and concreting over reefs and shoals. It was China's expansionism that started this wave of land grabbing (Vietnam, too, has begun to fortify shoals).

Also, I assume that Japan would accept the decisions of international courts in case of territorial conflicts.

thomas said:

Of course, you are correct in principle.

However, Japan's claims do not interfere with other nations' claims in that particular case. China has territorial disputes with Taiwan, Vietnam, Malaysia, Indonesia, the Philippines, Brunei, and Japan and creates faits accomplis in the South China Sea by occupying and concreting over reefs and shoals. It was China's expansionism that started this wave of land grabbing (Vietnam, too, has begun to fortify shoals).

Also, I assume that Japan would accept the decisions of international courts in case of territorial conflicts.

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Japan has territorial disputes with Russia, Korea and Taiwan; has been unwilling to budge an inch in its negotiations on the four Kuril islands with Russia; and has reinforced some almost underwater islets in the Ogasawara islands (Okinotorishima) to ensure that it can claim a huge amount of ocean relative to its size (see the above map). I'm not excusing obnoxious and bullying Chinese behaviour in the South China Sea, such as its military incursions into Japanese waters, but I think that the difference between China and Japan is only a matter of degree. I also wonder how Japan would behave if it had ten times the population, a stronger military and a desire to distract a population dissatisfied with its leaders (it's already got that!) through conquests abroad more substantial than gold medals at the Olympics.

I'm not attempting to bash Japan in particular here - I've become cynical about all countries lately. The West's lack of response to and even support for Israel's behaviour in Palestine suggests that geopolitical interests trump everything and that there are no good guys.

As critical as I am sometimes toward my host country, it's difficult not to take sides when you live and have family here.

Sadly, all the euphoria and hopes after the end of the Cold War have turned into something much nastier--"Let's build our future together" has turned into "dog bites dog."