The dispute over the islands, called the Senkaku in Japan and Diaoyu in China, has raised fears of a clash between the Asian neighbors which could even drag in the United States.
The Defense Ministry said the island defense exercise would run from May 10 to May 27 on a small uninhabited island in the Ryukyu chain, some 600 km northeast of the disputed isles.
Some parts of the exercise will be held in southwestern Japan’s Nagasaki prefecture and waters off Okinawa Island’s east coast. Okinawa is home of a major U.S. military base and Japan also bases forces there.
- It will be the first time that the Self-Defense Forces, will use an actual island for island defense training involving its ground, air and maritime divisions.
- About 1,300 troops, as well as several fighter jets and destroyers, will practice landing on and retaking the island, the ministry said.
“Boosting island defense is something that has been mentioned in the defense white paper in recent years. This is not a drill that is responding to the current security situation surrounding Japan,” a ministry spokesman said.
- U.S. President Barack Obama said last week while on a visit to Japan that the disputed islands were covered by a U.S.-Japan security treaty, angering China.
The radar station on Yonaguni Island, just 150 km from the disputed islands in the East China Sea, marks Japan’s first military expansion at the western end of its island chain in more than 40 years.
(c) Copyright Thomson Reuters 2014.
[japantoday.com]
4/5/14
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Related:
China, Russia to hold joint military exercise in May. - Naval Drills in East China Sea
U.S.-Japan security treaty should not cover Chinese territory. The Diaoyu Island and its affiliated islands are integral parts of China's territory. -MFA of PR China
Senkaku/Diaoyu are covered by a bilateral security treaty that obligates America to come to Japan's defence
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