Asia

Russia Today: ‘Japan, US struggle to contain China at any cost’ Will Japan amend article 9 of its constitution to allow for military buildup to counter a rising People’s Republic of China? Shinzo Abe’s government argues peace, critics say it’s all about arms sales Tensions in southeast Asia have remained as territorial disputes over possessions […]

International Relations

Japan‘s Rearmament: Reawakened Nationalism or Neo-Realist Pragmatism?

Inside Japan’s Controversial Military Expansion Decades after World War II, Japan begins an aggressive rearmament program Implications for the stability of the greater Pacific region notwithstanding, what does Japan‘s aggressive expansion of the Self Defense Forces (SDF) projective/offensive military capability mean for Japan‘s place in the wider world? Is Japan merely responding to China‘s (People’s […]

Japanese Troops Join US Marines in War Games

In a change of pace for the Japanese Self Defense Forces, all three branches of its military are participating with US Marines in war games off the coast of California with an emphasis on training the Japanese troops to hold and defend islands from invading forces. This comes after the controversy that erupted last year […]

Xi Jinping, future leader of the People's Republic of China.

Asia

International Relations

China’s Future Leader Warns Japan Over the Senkaku/Diaoyu Islands Dispute

The future leader of the People’s Republic of China, Xi Jinping, has warned Japan that it should respect China’s territorial sovereignty with regard to the Senkaku/Diaoyu islands in the East China Sea. After days of protest in the Chinese capital of Beijing and the dispatching of monitoring ships by the PRC navy, China’s future leader […]

Disputed Senkaku / Diaoyu Islands. Image via Wikipedia.

Asia

International Relations

Riots in China Over Japan’s Purchase of Disputed Senkaku/Diaoyu Islands

Chinese protesters pelted the Japanese embassy in Beijing with eggs and bottles in response to the Japanese government’s announcement of a proposed plan to bring the “privately-held” Senkaku/Diaoyu islands under national ownership. Decrying Japanese imperialism while touting signs emblazoned with Chairman Mao’s iconic portrait, Chinese university students took to the streets and called for war […]