China sends ships to islands disputed with Japan: Xinhua

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[h=1]China urges dialogue to solve Diaoyu Islands issues[/h]

BEIJING, Sept. 20 (Xinhua) -- China on Thursday urged Japan to return to the track of dialogue and negotiation to solve issues relating to the Diaoyu Islands.
Hong Lei, a spokesman for the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, made the comment at a regular press conference while commenting on a report stating that Japanese Prime Minister Yoshihiko Noda will send a special envoy to China.
China has always insisted that issues concerning the Diaoyu Islands should be solved through dialogues and negotiations, Hong said, adding the Japanese side should take China's solemn demand seriously.
China will maintain communications with the Japanese sides at all levels and expound China's solemn stance on the Diaoyu Islands.
Hong stressed that the Diaoyu Island and its affiliated islets are China's inherent territory, a fact supported by historical and jurisprudential evidence. "Japan's moves infringed upon China's territory and sovereignty and are illegal in terms of international law."
As for a question on whether China will offer compensation for some Japanese enterprises' losses incurred during anti-Japan demonstrations and protests in China, Hong said relevant cases will be handled appropriately.

 

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[h=1]Ceremony held on China's first aircraft carrier[/h]

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[h=1]Japan broke consensus with China on Diaoyu Islands: U.S. expert[/h]
WASHINGTON, Sept. 20 (Xinhua) -- The Japanese government's bid to "nationalize" the Diaoyu Islands had broken its consensus with China to shelve the territorial dispute, a U.S. expert said Thursday.


"First of all, I think that Japan's actions have been key in explaining what China has done," said Kenneth Lieberthal, a senior fellow at the Brookings Institution who had been the senior director for Asia at the National Security Council in the Clinton administration.


Speaking at a symposium at the Washington-based think tank, he also admitted it was a "huge mistake" when U.S. government officials made comments that suggested Washington did have a position on the dispute.


"I think that does us no good. And occasionally, some comments like that have come out," Lieberthal said. "I think that they are regrettable."

 

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[h=1]Former Japanese official apologises to China[/h]
Japan’s former Chief Cabinet Secretary, Hiromu Nonaka, has expressed his sincere apologies to the Chinese people, during an interview with CCTV. Nonaka has criticised certain politicians in Japan for making, what he feels, is the wrong decision over the Diaoyu Islands, which have undermined Sino-Japanese relations.
A good-will journey delayed. 87-year old Hiromu Nonaka planned to visit China late September, to commemorate the normalization of Sino-Japanese relations.
However, it was forced to put off due to the rising tensions between Japan and China over the Diaoyu Islands.

Japan’s former Chief Cabinet Secretary, Hiromu Nonaka, has expressed his sincere apologies to the Chinese people, during an interview with CCTV.

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Nonaka has long been dedicated to building Sino-Japanese friendship, and said the recent dispute is a pity.
He said Japan’s "purchase" of the Diaoyu Islands has undermined the two countries’ mutual trust, which has lasted for several decades.
He also criticised the Japanese government’s improper reactions to the diplomatic crisis.
He says, "As a Japanese person, I feel disgraced. I feel terribly bad for the Chinese people and I want to express my sincere apologies to them."
Hiromu Nonaka is an experienced politician in Japan. He has been a member of the House of Representatives, Minister of Home Affairs, and served as Chief Cabinet Secretary, among other positions.

Japan’s former Chief Cabinet Secretary, Hiromu Nonaka, has expressed his sincere apologies to the Chinese people, during an interview with CCTV.

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Compared to his generation, Nonaka says his country’s current politicians only care about personal careers, instead of the responsibilities and obligations of the nation. He says they regard the Diaoyu Islands as an election winner.
He says, "The current political parties in Japan don’t seem to be working in the interests of Japan and the Japanese people. They don’t think about the country’s future direction, and haven’t realised the importance of maintaining friendly relations with neighboring countries. All of these are important missions for Japan’s young politicians. Unfortunately, they only care about the election and votes. It’s very sad, and I feel very disappointed."
In 1998, Nonaka visited the Memorial Hall of the Victims in the Nanjing Massacre by Japanese aggressors.
For many years, he called for the Japanese society to rethink its decision to invade China. And he is keen on finding solutions to solve remaining historical issues, like the remaining effects of Japan’s use of chemical weapons.
Nonaka says many people in Japan still have no idea about the degree to which Chinese people suffered during the war.
He also says, "They are wrong. They are too young. They’ve no idea how many people lost their lives in the war. They are not sensitive to the long suffering of countless war victims. It’s totally wrong for those young politicians to ignore what happened in history and the feelings of the Chinese people."
Hiromu Nonaka emphasised that Sino-Japanese relations are of crucial importance. As for the Diaoyu Islands, he suggested the two sides strengthen dialogue and find a proper way to solve the tension.
Nonaka also expressed that he will never accept a tougher stance on China over the island issue, as proposed by Japan’s rightists and politicians.

 

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[h=1]Noda to send diplomatic envoy to China[/h]

Japan’s Asahi Shimbun says Prime Minister Yoshihiko Noda and his government had expected tensions to rise with China after they purchased the Diaoyu islands.
But Noda said China’s reaction has totally surpassed his expectations. He says he is now considering sending a special diplomatic envoy to China to negotiate the matter.
Details of the visit are still under discussion. Noda said besides diplomatic means, he is also seeking to enhance bilateral communication in political and economic fields.

 

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[h=1]Japanese patrol ships return to harbor[/h]

CCTV has learned that Japanese patrol ships that were operating around the Diaoyu islands, have returned to Port in Ishigaki, for unknown reasons.
Ishigaki Island is located southwest of Okinawa Prefecture, about 170 kilometers from China’s Diaoyu Islands. All 13 patrol ships returned back to harbor on Thursday.


But it’s still unknown whether it’s a normal change or a change in strategy due to recent tensions with China over the Diaoyu Islands.

 

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[h=1]China opposes Japanese landing on Diaoyu Islands[/h] 09-23-2012 05:21 BJT


China has strongly protested against the landing on the Diaoyu Islands by Japanese government security personnel. A number of Japanese security personnel landed on the islands illegally on Friday evening, in the name of preventing Taiwan activists from doing so.
Foreign Ministry Spokesman Hong Lei says the move constitutes a severe violation of China’s territorial sovereignty and the Chinese side has made solemn representations to the Japanese side on the issue.
Hong Lei urges the Japanese side to stop all activities that infringe upon China’s sovereignty over the Diaoyu Islands. He notes that China will continue to take measures to defend its sovereignty over the territory.

 

[ConyuConhee]

reclaiming diaoyu ......

farming ..... the first tree




Chinese toy ....

 

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[h=1]Taiwan activists burn Japanese flag over island dispute[/h]

Taiwan activists rally against Japan over islands<iframe src ="http://video.heraldsun.com.au/embed/2278200740/Anti-Japan-protests-in-China-and-Taiwan?player=narrow" width="330" height="365" frameborder="0" marginheight="0" marginwidth="0" scrolling="no"><p><a href="http://video.heraldsun.com.au/2278200740/Anti-Japan-protests-in-China-and-Taiwan">VIDEO: Anti-Japan protests in China and Taiwan</a></p></iframe>

 

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MORE than 100 Taiwanese activists have burnt a Japanese flag in a protest in downtown Taipei, as anger over disputed islands spilled over from Beijing.


The demonstration outside Taiwan's parliament took place as a row over the islands - known as Diaoyu in Chinese and Senkaku in Japanese - prompted thousands to hit the streets in major cities on the Chinese mainland.
"When our compatriots in the mainland are striving to protect the Diaoyu islands, we people in Taiwan cannot remain silent," said a spokesman for the small Union Party, the organiser of the protest.

Chinese demonstrators raise national flags as they confront riot policemen during a protest against Japan in Shenzhen, China, on Sunday. Picture: AP














Taiwan, China and Japan all claim the uninhabited islands, which are 400km from the Okinawan capital of Naha and 200km from Taiwan.The Taiwanese protesters called for cooperation with China to get back the disputed islands, which they said were "stolen" by Japan, and blamed the United States for favouring Tokyo.

A Chinese demonstrator kicks a broken police vehicle during a protest against Japan in Shenzhen, China, on Sunday. Picture: AP




"The Americans should stop throwing their weight behind Japan, and the Japanese would back away," said the Union Party spokesman, who declined to give his name.
Taiwan's President Ma Ying-jeou has said Taipei has no intention to work with Beijing, mindful that doing so could hurt the island's ties with Japan.

A Chinese demonstrator throws a teargas canister back to riot policemen during a protest against Japan in Shenzhen, China, on Sunday. Picture: AP




Tensions mounted after the Japanese government announced last week it had completed a planned purchase of some of the islands from a Japanese family, prompting Taiwan to recall its envoy to Tokyo and triggering mass protests in China.
The islands lie on vital shipping lanes and are believed to be located near potentially rich gas fields.

A Chinese demonstrator throws a flower pot at riot policemen during a protest against Japan in Shenzhen, China, on Sunday. Picture: AP

 

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[h=1]Chinese navy takes delivery of first aircraft carrier[/h]

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China's first aircraft carrier was handed over on Sunday to the navy of the People's Liberation Army, state press said, amid rising tensions over disputed waters in the East and South China Seas.
The handover ceremony of the 300-metre ship, a former Soviet carrier called the Varyag, took place in north-east China's port of Dalian after a lengthy refitting by a Chinese shipbuilder, the Global Times reported.
During the handover ceremony the aircraft carrier raised the Chinese national flag on its mast, the PLA flag on its bow and the navy's colours on its stern, the short online report said. A ceremony to place the ship into active service would be held sometime in the future, the paper said without elaboration.
The announcement comes at a time of heightened tensions over maritime disputes in the Asia-Pacific region, where China's growing assertiveness has put it on a collision course with Japan, Vietnam and the Philippines.

 

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Hundreds protest in Taipei against Japan's purchase of isles (update)
2012/09/23 21:28:56

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Taipei, Sept. 23 (CNA) Hundreds of people took to the streets of Taipei on Sunday to protest against Japan's recent purchase of three islands in the disputed Diaoyutai chain.

The demonstrators marched from National Dr. Sun Yat-sen Memorial Hall to the Taipei office of Japan's Interchange Association to deliver a letter of protest against Japan's attempts to nationalize the resource-rich islands in the East China Sea.

After a peaceful two-hour march, the protesters arrived in front of the office of the association, which represents Japan's interests in Taiwan in the absence of diplomatic ties between the two countries.

A representative of the demonstrators then presented the letter of protest to Masahiko Sugita, director of General and Economic Affairs at the association's Taipei office.

In the letter, the group called for Japan to "leave the Diaoyutais immediately" and "return the Diaoyutais to Taiwan."

Sugita accepted the letter without comment. An official at the association told CNA that there will be no response to the letter for the time being.

The island chain has been under Japan's control since 1972, but is also claimed by Taiwan and China.

The demonstration in Taipei came amid escalating tensions over the Diaoyutais, since Japan on Sept. 11 moved to nationalize the island group by buying three of them from a private owner, spurring anti-Japanese protests in many Chinese cities and Hong Kong.

The protesters chanted slogans such as "the Diaoyutais are ours" and waved national flags of the Republic of China, as Taiwan is called officially.

Some of demonstrators also called for Taiwan to join forces with China against Japan in the Diaoyutai dispute and waved national flags of the People's Republic of China.

In response, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs reiterated its stance that the Taiwan government will not collaborate with China on the issue.

"We have our own policies and interests," ministry spokesman Steve Hsia said.

Reiterating the ROC's sovereignty over the Diaoyutais, Hsia said the public and all political parties are welcome to work with the government to protect the country's territory by peaceful means.

After Japan's move to nationalize the Diaoyutais, Taiwan recalled its representative to Japan Shen Ssu-tsun.

The uninhabited Diaoyutai Islands, known as the Senkakus in Japan and the Diaoyu Islands in China, lie about 100 nautical miles northeast of Taiwan.

 

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[h=1]Secretary general of DPJ talks on dispute[/h]
Hirohisa Fujii, the Secretary General of the ruling Democratic Party of Japan, has stressed in an interview that the Diaoyu islands dispute should be solved in the principle of "shelving the disputes".
The principle was advocated by the late Chinese leaders Zhou Enlai and Deng Xiaoping, which was also shared by former Japanese Prime Minister Kakuei Tanaka and Minister of Foreign Affairs Sonoda Sunao.
On the question of history, Fujii also said it’s historical fact that Japan colonised South Korea, and launched an all-out war against China. He said it is very important to let the younger generation know the truth.

 

[Bigfuck]

[h=1]Secretary general of DPJ talks on dispute[/h]
Hirohisa Fujii, the Secretary General of the ruling Democratic Party of Japan, has stressed in an interview that the Diaoyu islands dispute should be solved in the principle of "shelving the disputes".
The principle was advocated by the late Chinese leaders Zhou Enlai and Deng Xiaoping, which was also shared by former Japanese Prime Minister Kakuei Tanaka and Minister of Foreign Affairs Sonoda Sunao.
On the question of history, Fujii also said it’s historical fact that Japan colonised South Korea, and launched an all-out war against China. He said it is very important to let the younger generation know the truth.

There is no truth here. It is just mindless games of power without calculation. East Asia has been plagued historically like it. Duanwujie is registered by S Korea as their own unique festival and Japanese claim Diaoyu islands as theirs historically while PRC claims all of East Asia comes from PRC and that there is no originality by everyone else.

 

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Taiwan boats in disputed isle waters: Japan coastguard
Posted: 25 September 2012 0912 hrs

TOKYO: Dozens of Taiwanese boats, including six coastguard vessels, entered territorial waters around bitterly disputed East China Sea islands on Tuesday, Japanese coastguards said.

"Tens of fishing boats entered the waters. They were accompanied by six Taiwanese coastguard ships," a coastguards spokesman said.

The boats are part of a fleet that left Taiwan on Monday, vowing to stake their claim to islands where they say they have ancestral fishing rights.

Their arrival and large-scale breach of what Japan considers its territorial waters will further complicate an already high-stakes confrontation pitting Tokyo against Beijing.

Japan administers the uninhabited, but strategically well-positioned, archipelago under the name Senkaku. Beijing says it has owned the islands for centuries and calls them Diaoyu.

Taiwan, whose coast lies around 200 kilometres (125 miles) from the islands, claims the Diaoyutai belong to it.

Ownership of the islands has become an important tenet of identity for all three claimants; the possible presence of energy reserves in the nearby seabed adds to the mix.

Relations between Japan and China have scraped long-unseen lows in recent weeks following Tokyo's purchase of three of the islands, which it bought from a private Japanese landowner.

Japan's coastguard said on Monday that of two of China's maritime surveillance ships had spent seven hours in territorial waters around Uotsurijima, the largest island in the chain.

Two fisheries patrol boats briefly also entered the 12-nautical-mile zone around the chain, the coastguard said.

Four ships and one fisheries patrol boat were in contiguous waters as of 7:00 am Tuesday (2200 GMT Monday), according to the coastguard.

- AFP/xq

 

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Japan, Taiwan fire water cannons near disputed islands

TOKYO: Coastguard vessels from Japan and Taiwan duelled with water cannons on Tuesday after dozens of Taiwanese boats escorted by patrol ships sailed into waters around Tokyo-controlled islands.

Japanese coastguard ships sprayed water at the fishing vessels, footage on national broadcaster NHK showed, with the Taiwanese patrol boats retaliating by directing their own high-pressure hoses at the Japanese ships.

The large-scale breach of what Japan considers sovereign territory -- one of the biggest since WWII -- is the latest escalation in a row over ownership of the islands that pits Tokyo against Beijing and Taipei.

The intrusion complicates the already volatile territorial dispute with China. Taiwan has said that officers aboard some of the patrol ships sent to the area are fully-armed elite coastguard personnel.

Japan's Chief Cabinet Secretary Osamu Fujimura told a press conference that by 9:00am (0000 GMT) eight Taiwanese coastguard and 40 fishing boats were in Japanese waters.

"We have made contact with the Taiwan authorities, and told them that they cannot enter our territorial waters," he said.

A spokesman for Taiwan's coastguard confirmed that nearly 60 boats got close to the islands, some coming within three nautical miles -- well inside the 12-nautical-mile territorial exclusion zone.

Japan's coastguard said all vessels left territorial waters a few hours later.

The boats are part of a fleet that left Taiwan on Monday, vowing to stake their claim to islands where they say they have ancestral fishing rights.

More than 60 fishing boats flying Taiwanese flags left Suao, a port in northeast Taiwan, at 0700 GMT Monday, with 300 fishermen and 60 reporters on board.

Taiwan's coastguard sent at least 10 patrol boats alongside the vessels.

"We'll do everything to protect our fishermen. We do not rule out using force to fight back if Japan were to do so," Wang Chin-wang, head of the Coast Guard Administration, said in parliament.

Japan administers the uninhabited, but strategically well-positioned archipelago under the name Senkaku. Beijing says it has owned the islands for centuries and calls them Diaoyu.

Taiwan also claims the islands, which lie around 200 kilometres (125 miles) from its coast.

Ownership of the islands has become an important tenet of identity for all three claimants; the possible presence of energy reserves in the nearby seabed adds to the mix.

The last large intrusion into Japanese waters was in 1996, according to a spokesman at the Tokyo headquarters of the Japan Coast Guard.

He said at that time, 41 ships carrying activists from Hong Kong and Taiwan entered waters around the islands with the intention of asserting sovereignty.

Chen Chun-sheng, the head of the Suao Fishermen Association, said at the weekend: "Diaoyutai has been our traditional fishing ground for centuries. We pledge to use our lives to protect it or we'd disgrace our ancestors."

Fujimura said Japan was handling Tuesday's situation as delicately as it could.

"All in all, we must continue to take utmost caution for policing of the areas surrounding the Senkaku islands. Agencies concerned must continue to closely coordinate their actions," he said.

"Japan's position is that, in light of good Japan-Taiwan relations, we must solve the issue peacefully. We wish to respond calmly."

Relations between Japan and China, meanwhile, have scraped long-unseen lows in recent weeks following Tokyo's nationalisation of three of the islands, which it bought from a private Japanese landowner.

Several days of sometimes violent protests erupted in cities across China, where Japanese businesses were targeted by rioters.

Japan's coastguard said on Monday that of two of China's maritime surveillance ships had spent seven hours in territorial waters around Uotsurijima, the largest island in the chain.

Two fisheries patrol boats briefly also entered the 12-nautical-mile zone around the chain, the coastguard said.

Four marine surveillance ships and two fisheries patrol boats were in contiguous waters as of 9:00am Tuesday (0000 GMT), according to the coastguard.

None of the Chinese ships sent to the area belongs to the military. Both types of vessel are government-owned and used to enforce Chinese law in domestic waters.

- AFP/al

 

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China's first aircraft carrier "Liaoning" commissioned

 

[Cruxx]

"Military men are just dumb stupid animals to be used as pawns in foreign policy"

 

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[h=1]Russia to invest more in disputed islands with Japan[/h]
Russia’s Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev has signed a resolution to earmark additional funds for the social and economic development of the Kuril Islands, which Japan claims as their sovereign land and calls the Chishima Islands.
This resolution amends the disputed islands development program until 2015 and invests additional funds, including 4 million US dollars for road construction.

 

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What is an aircraft carrier with no operational plane call? A really big sitting duck.
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China's first aircraft carrier enters service

China's first aircraft carrier has entered into service, the Defence Ministry says.

The 300m (990ft) Liaoning - named after the province where it was refitted - is a refurbished Soviet ship purchased from Ukraine.

For now the carrier has no operational aircraft and will be used for training.

But China says the vessel, which has undergone extensive sea trials, will increase its capacity to defend state interests.

The delivery of the aircraft comes at a time when Japan and other countries in the region have expressed concern at China's growing naval strength.

China and Japan are embroiled in a row over disputed islands in the East China Sea. Several South East Asian nations are also at odds with China over overlapping territorial claims in the South China Sea.
'Defend interests'

The Liaoning was formally handed over to the navy at ceremony attended by top Chinese leaders at Dalian Port, state-run Xinhua news agency said.

"Having the aircraft carrier enter the ranks will be of important significance in raising the overall fighting capacity of our nation's navy to a modern level," China's Defence Ministry said in a statement.

The vessel will "increase [China's] capacity to defend, develop its capacity to co-operate on the high seas in dealing with non-traditional security threats and will be effective in defending the interests of state sovereignty, security and development", it added.

The official commissioning of the country's first aircraft carrier signals China's status as a rising power, says the BBC's Damian Grammaticas in Beijing.

The country's Communist leaders are spending billions modernising their armed forces so they can project military power far beyond China's borders, our correspondent adds.

The Liaoning, formerly known as the Varyag, was constructed in the 1980s for the Soviet navy but was never completed.

When the Soviet Union collapsed in 1991, the Varyag sat in Ukraine's dockyards.

A Chinese company with links to China's People's Liberation Army (PLA) bought the ship just as Soviet warships were being cut for scrap.

It said it wanted to turn the Varyag into a floating casino in Macau and in 2001 the ship was towed to China.

The Chinese military confirmed in June 2011 that it was being refitted to serve as the nation's first aircraft carrier.