How The Hague ruling against China could spell trouble for Japan
by South China Morning Post, Hong Kong
Japan has built structures on uninhabited rocks 1,740 km from Tokyo to mark its territory - just like China has done in the South China Sea.
Tokyo has been quick to applaud the decision by the Permanent Court of Arbitration in The Hague on Beijing’s claims to reefs and atolls in the South China Sea, but experts warn that the ruling could come back to haunt Japan.
Of particular concern, they point out, should be the court’s ruling that the “islands” are little more than rocks that cannot support human habitation and economic life and cannot therefore be used to extend China’s control over the region.
Japan spends millions building structures on uninhabited rocks 1,740 km from Tokyo to mark its territory
Beijing arguably learned the tactic of enlarging rocks that would otherwise be submerged at high tide from Japan, which has spent billions of yen on reinforcing and enlarging Okinotorishima. This tiny atoll, 1,740 km south of Tokyo extends Japan’s exclusive economic zone over some 400,000 square km of the Pacific Ocean - larger than Japan’s total land area.
“The Hague ruling completely de-legitimises Japan’s claim to those waters,” said Stephen Nagy, an associate professor of politics at Tokyo’s International Christian University.
“Under this ruling, if it was to be applied to Japan, then Japan would no longer have that EEZ,” he told South China Morning Post.
“It’s as simple as that.”
http://www.scmp.com/news/asia/east-asia/article/1989782/how-hague-ruling-against-china-could-spell-trouble-japan
________________________
How INTERESTING, Japan uses an artificial island 1,740 km from Tokyo to expand its exclusive economic zone over some 400,000 square km of Pacific ocean!
Woah BABY!
In Mr. Rogers voice: Can you say DOUBLE STANDARD, boys and girls? Good. I knew you could.
= new reply since forum marked as read
