Japan, US conduct island defense drill near Diaoyu Islands

Globaltimes.cn | 2012-8-21 15:43:00

US Moves in E. Aisa

1.Japan, US conduct joint drills near Diaoyu Islands
Japan and the US have decided to intensify military and defense cooperation at a very sensitive time for the region. The decision was first reported on in the Japanese newspaper Sankei Shimbun. The news comes as relations between China and Japan have been severely strained due to the territory dispute over Diaoyu Islands.

2.S. Korea, US launch joint military drill
South Korean and US militaries have begun an annual joint exercise to test defenses against potential security threats.

3. Private deals between US, Japan concerning Diaoyu Islands "invalid": Chinese FM
According to Japan's Kyodo News Agency, a senior US State Department official said on July 9 that the Diaoyu Islands (referred to as the Senkaku Islands in Japan) fall within the scope of Article 5 of the US-Japan Treaty of Mutual Cooperation and Security, as the Senkaku Islands have been under the administrative control of the government of Japan since they were returned as part of the reversion of Okinawa in 1972.

4. US-Japanese strategies put region at risk
At the end of April, the US and Japan reached a new agreement on the joint use of the US military bases in the Pacific region. According to media reports, the Japanese Self-Defense Forces are expected to station forces alongside US troops in the Philippines. Once Manila approves, Japan, the US and the Philippines will conduct specific military training together in Philippine bases.

5. Japan’s tough Diaoyu position aimed at US
In December 2011, Japan and the US jointly held a military drill. Such military drills have been practiced for more than two decades, but this time the scale was unprecedented.

The reason was exactly the incident that happened in September. Japan and the US assumed that the waters near the Diaoyu Islands might be threatened by Chinese military forces, although in ordinary people's eyes a fishing boat barely represents a nation.