Taiwanese boats off disputed East China Sea islands

[Bosonic]

Source: BBC

Dozens of Taiwanese vessels, including coastguard ships, have entered waters around disputed East China Sea islands, Japanese officials say.

The uninhabited islands, called Senkaku in Japan and Diaoyu in China, are controlled by Japan, but also claimed by China and Taiwan.

Tension in the region has been high since Japan's purchase of the islands from their private Japanese owner.

A top Japanese envoy is in Beijing for talks aimed at easing the strains.

Read more: http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-asia-19709355

[dipsydoodle]

1. China carrier a show of force as Japan tension festers

(Reuters) - China sent its first aircraft carrier into formal service on Tuesday amid a tense maritime dispute with Japan, a show of naval force that could worry its neighbours.

China's Ministry of Defence said the newly named Liaoning aircraft carrier would "raise the overall operational strength of the Chinese navy" and help Beijing to "effectively protect national sovereignty, security and development interests".

http://uk.reuters.com/article/2012/09/25/uk-china-japan-idUKBRE88O06W20120925

[Lurks Often]

2. Mostly bluster on the part of the Chinese

the Liaoning only carries 26 fixed wing aircraft (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chinese_aircraft_carrier_Liaoning),
roughly a third of what a US aircraft carrier has, so it would be hard pressed to defend itself under a major attack, much less carry out major offensive operations. Additionally, it is very probable that the Chinese will lose a significant number of pilots and aircraft during the next several years. Flying from an aircraft carrier is not easy and the Chinese navy lacks the 70+ years of experience and doctrine that the US Navy has developed.

I don't expect this to develop to where the various sides end up shooting at each other. Japan's Air Force and Navy are very well equipped with a long history of being very well trained, if this develops into a shooting war, the Chinese military is going to get hurt badly by the Japanese. That does not take into consideration the very high likelihood of the US and South Korea being dragged into the conflict. Japan, US & South Korea do not have the resources to invade China and China lacks the amphibious and logistical ships ships to invade Japan.

I think we'll see a lot of bluster and saber rattling and then somewhere down the road they'll come to an agreement that all parties can accept and profit from.

[dipsydoodle]

3. Prestige not bluster

Showing their own people what they do with the huge reserves built up by the shopping habits of the west.

Meanwhile the US has expressed disapproval of the Chinese having a carrier despite the fact the US had eleven of them.

[glacierbay]

5. What a joke of a carrier

Here's what a real Aircraft Carrier looks like:

[dipsydoodle]

6. Its symbolic

at least for time being. Its reckoned it will take them 10 years to put a full blown navy together. Carriers are a piece of cake to take out with missiles anyway regardless of how advanced or otherwise they may be.

[glacierbay]

7. No they are not pieces of cake to take out

they are very well defended. Don't believe that they are easy to sink, that's just not true.

[Archae]

4. What's on these islands, anyway?

Or is this China just waving their dick around?

[Socal31]

8. It's obvious, isn't it?

There are reports of large fossil fuel and natural gas stores. Same reason Russia/China want to plant flags in the Arctic.

Japan is under our "nuclear umbrella", so I doubt anything will become of that side of the mess. Taiwan, however, is a serious Chinese black-eye, and I really wish we would recuse ourselves from our current treaty with them.

I really don't want to die from a full nuclear exchange due to a civil war over some disputed islands.