YOKOSUKA, JAPAN – SEPTEMBER 06: Nobuo Kishi, Japan’s Defense Minister, center, Peter van der Vliet, Netherlands’ ambassador to Japan, right, and Rick Ongering, commanding officer of Royal Netherlands Navy’s HNLMS Evertsen frigate, left, inspect on the board Royal Netherlands Navy’s HNLMS Evertsen frigate at the Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force (JMSDF) naval base in Yokosuka on September 6, 2021 in Yokosuka, Japan. (Photo by Kiyoshi Ota – Pool/Getty Images)
Tensions are rising between China and Japan over the Senkaku Islands. Although, if the Chinese Communist Party tries to take Taiwan, Japan has promised to defend its island neighbor. According to Japan’s defense minister on Thursday, a free Taiwan is integral to maintaining peace and stability in the region.
Most energy imports to Japan go around Taiwan, leaving it in Japan’s best interest to keep Taiwan free of China’s control. However, China isn’t only posturing against Taiwan, but also a Japanese island chain in Taiwan Straits.
The CCP has claimed the islands for themselves, but Japan hasn’t recognized the claims and said they would push back against China if the claims were acted on.
“The Senkaku Islands are an integral part of Japanese sovereign territory, both according to international law and looking historically,” said Defense Minister Nobuo Kishi. “There is no territorial dispute relating to the Senkaku Islands between Japan and other countries.”
This aerial shot taken on September 15, 2010 shows the disputed islands known as Senkaku in Japan and Diaoyu in China in the East China Sea. (JIJI PRESS/AFP/Getty Images)
According to Kishi, Chinese Coast Guard ships have previously entered Japanese waters around the island chain. Meanwhile, he promised that Japan is on high alert and ready to engage if the CCP tries to take any part of the region by force.
Source: One America News Network
