By Anthony Fensom
Inexperienced Chinese naval officers ran the risk of sparking a confrontation with Japan in the East China Sea, a leading Japanese military academic has warned.
Speaking at the Griffith Asia Institute in Brisbane, Australia, Lt. Gen. Noboru Yamaguchi of Japan’s National Defense Academy said China’s rapid build-up could see it match the United States in military expenditure by 2030, but the greater danger was an “accident” provoking an incident.
“Equipment can be expanded very rapidly, but navy captains take 20 years to train – and if that’s not the case, then many young captains and untrained sailors piloting ships and submarines may cause quite a dangerous situation,” he said in his June 13 speech.
Read the full story at The Diplomat