By Shannon Tiezzi
China is not happy with Tokyo’s recent attempts to insert itself into the South China Sea conversation.
As The Diplomat has noted, Japan has become more active on the South China Sea issue this year. Whether it’s exploring the idea of joint patrols of the area with the United States or boosting defense ties with the Philippines, one of China’s rival claimants in the disputed area, the Shinzo Abe administration is making its presence known in the South China Sea – and Beijing is not happy about it.
China dismisses the notion that Japan has any real interests at stake in how the South China Sea disputes are handled. Beijing refuses to acknowledge Japanese (and U.S.) claims that freedom of navigation through this vital shipping lane is at risk. Writing for the Chinese-language edition of Financial Times, Chinese scholar Xue Li argued that Japan’s loudly voiced concern for South China Sea shipping lanes is a “facade” and that Japan’s real motive was a wish to maintain political influence in Southeast Asia and bolster its own position on the East China Sea territorial disputes.
A recent Xinhua article made a similar argument, saying that Japan’s “interference in the disputes aims to divert Beijing’s attention and resources from the East China Sea.” That article accused Japan of trying “to sell its anti-China agenda” at the G7 summit for “its own selfish interests and purposes.” The piece predicted that Abe’s attempt “to forge an unified anti-China stand [would be] futile,” noting China’s important economic ties with G7 members like Germany and the U.K. “[T]hey are more interested in the inclusion of the Chinese currency renminbi in the International Monetary Fund’s Special Drawing Rights currency basket than in the South China Sea issue,” Xinhua predicted.
When the G7 did end up including stern language regarding the East and South China Sea disputes in its joint statement, China’s Foreign Ministry declared the G7 “way out of step with the facts and the internationally recognized principles.”
Read the full story at The Diplomat