Greek Defense Minister Warns Against Turkish 'Foot' on Disputed Greek Islands

Greece will do everything to prevent Turkey from getting to its territory, Greek Minister of National Defense Panos Kammenos said Sunday, adding that Greece is ready to rebuff Ankara in case of any provocation.

Hungary’s Orban Wants to Ship Off Europe’s Illegal Immigrants to Island Camps

As the migrant crisis in Europe continues, Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban has offered a controversial solution.

Migrant crisis: EU-Turkey deal comes into effect

The agreement between the EU and Turkey to tackle the migrant crisis has formally come into effect.

Nearly 21,000 migrants arrived in Greece last week (UN)

Nearly 21,000 refugees and migrants arrived in crisis-hit Greece last week - nearly half the total number in all of 2014 - the United Nations said Tuesday.

As foreign tourists leave Greece, Turks stay (Greek official)

Only Turkish tourists are enjoying their holidays in Greece, although thousands of foreign tourists have left the country amid the worsening cash crisis, said the mayor of Symi Island, which is just a few miles away from the seashores of Datça in the Turkish province of Muğla.

South Korean lawmakers pass resolution to slam Japan's history distortion

South Korean lawmakers passed a resolution on Tuesday to denounce Japan's approval of school textbooks that distorted history and laid territorial claims to Dokdo islets, called Takeshima in Japan.

S. Korea slams distorted Japanese textbooks over disputed islets

South Korea angrily responded Monday to new Japanese textbooks distorting history and laying territorial claim to the Dokdo islands, called Takeshima in Japan.

Chinese man crashes hot-air balloon in attempt to land on disputed islands

A Chinese man who crashed into the sea in an attempt to land a hot-air balloon on contested islands  (Senkaku/Diaoyu) claimed by both Beijing and Tokyo has been picked up and handed over to Chinese authorities, officials said Thursday.

The man, identified as 35-year old chef Xu Shuaijun, took off in his multi-coloured balloon from China’s Fujian province on Wednesday in a bid to land it on one of the Tokyo-controlled islands, known as the Senkakus in Japanese and Diaoyus in Chinese.

He crashed into the East China Sea just hours later after hitting turbulence when approaching the islands.

China and Japan hold ‘secret’ talks over disputed islands (Senkaku/Diaoyu issue) - media.

A senior Chinese official has secretly visited Japan for talks with local authorities over the issue of the disputed Senkaku Islands (Diaoyu ), reported the Japanese news agency " Jiji " on Tuesday, citing an unnamed source in the Chinese government.


According to the agency, the meeting was held in early October and involved high ranking officials of the Japanese and the Chinese Foreign Ministries. Japan's Foreign Ministry declined to comment on the possibility of such negotiations, but instead quoted that "Japan and China have been holding various exchanges at different levels."

Traité de paix Russie-Japon: Poutine optimiste. -Moscou et Tokyo restent formellement en guerre, car aucun traité de paix n'a été conclu au terme de la WWII

La Russie pourrait signer un Traité de paix avec le Japon, a déclaré mardi le président russe Vladimir Poutine à Bali, en Indonésie, à l'issue du sommet de l'Organisation de coopération économique Asie-Pacifique (APEC).
"Cela (la coopération économique, ndlr.) permet non seulement de rêver, mais aussi d'œuvrer pour la signature d'un traité de paix. Pour ce faire, nous devons créer une image de pays ami et non de pays ennemi. A mon avis, c'est tout à fait possible avec le Japon", a indiqué M.Poutine devant les journalistes.
"Nous avons repris les discussions au niveau des ministères des Affaires étrangères et au niveau des experts. En novembre prochain, le ministre des Affaires étrangères et le ministre de la Défense effectueront une visite au Japon", a ajouté le président Poutine.

Japan unveils largest warship since World War II. The 810-ft long ship is able to carry up to 14 helicopters. (VIDEO YT)

YOKOHAMA - Japan today (Aug 6) unveiled its biggest warship since World War II, a huge flat-top destroyer that has raised eyebrows in China and elsewhere because it bears a strong resemblance to a conventional aircraft carrier.
The ship, which has a flight deck that is nearly 250 metres long, is designed to carry up to 14 helicopters. Japanese officials say it will be used in national defence - particularly in anti-submarine warfare and border-area surveillance missions - and to bolster the nation’s ability to transport personnel and supplies in response to large-scale natural disasters, like the devastating earthquake and tsunami in 2011.

Japan to deploy ships after China detected drilling in disputed waters - report - (Senkaku/Diaoyu issue)

An aerial view shows a Chinese facility under construction (top R) for natural gas exploration and a large crane ship are seen near what Tokyo claims to be the median line between the overlapping exclusive economic zones of Japan and China, in the East China Sea, in this photo taken by Kyodo July 5, 2013. (Reuters/Kyodo)

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Japan has allegedly ordered geological survey ships to prepare for possible deployment after the Chinese were reportedly detected drilling in Japanese waters near the disputed area of the Senkaku Islands in the East China Sea, a source told Reuters.

Japan PM Abe visits island near disputed chain - (Senkaku/Diaoyu issue)

TOKYO: Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe on Wednesday visited coastguards who patrol waters around islands at the centre of a dispute with China, as election campaigning stepped up a gear.
Abe was in the remote Okinawan island of Ishigaki in the East China Sea, 2,000 kilometres (1,240 miles) southwest of Tokyo, where he told crews his resolve to stand up for Japan was undimmed.
"The security environment for our territorial waters has become increasingly serious, as Chinese government ships frequently sail to and roam around waters surrounding Senkaku islands," Abe said in an address to about 40 coastguards.
Senkaku is Japan's name for islands it controls, but which China claims as the Diaoyus.

China urges Japan to accept historic consensus on Diaoyu Islands - Senkaku/Diaoyu issue

Watch Video

China has refuted the claims of Japanese Chief Cabinet Secretary Yoshihide Suga. 

Foreign Ministry spokesman Hong Lei reiterated that China and Japan had previously reached a consensus to shelve the Diaoyu Islands dispute. 

He urged the Japanese government to accept the consensus reached by the two nations and solve the Diaoyu Islands row through dialogue. 

Japan considers disclosing evidence on China radar lock

The incident, which Japan said happened last week, marked the first time the two nations' navies have locked horns in a territorial dispute that has some commentators warning about possible armed conflict.
The neighbours -- also the world's second and third-largest economies -- have seen ties sour over uninhabited Japanese-controlled islands in the East China Sea known as Senkaku in Tokyo and Diaoyu by Beijing, which claims them.
"The government is considering the extent of what can be disclosed," Japan's Defence Minister Itsunori Onodera said on a television programme Saturday.

Ιαπωνία: Ρωσικά μαχητικά παραβίασαν τον εναέριο χώρο της

Η ιαπωνική αεροπορία απογείωσε δικά της μαχητικά για να τα αναχαιτίσουν.
Η Ιαπωνία υποστηρίζει ότι δύο ρωσικά μαχητικά παραβίασαν τον εναέριο χώρο της κοντά στο Χοκάιντο την Πέμπτη. 
Η ιαπωνική αεροπορία απογείωσε δικά της μαχητικά για να αναχαιτίσουν τα ρωσικά σκάφη ενώ το Τόκιο προχώρησε σε υποβολή διαμαρτυρίας.

Taiwan activists head for Japan-controlled isles

TOKYO —

A boatload of Taiwanese activists protected by the island’s coast guard was Thursday heading for Japanese-held islands at the center of a bitter international wrangle involving Tokyo, Beijing and Taipei.
The seven activists left port in Taiwan on a fishing vessel in the early hours and were expected to arrive in the area around the uninhabited islands in the afternoon, Taiwanese coast guard spokesman Shih Yi-che said.
A coast guard official in Japan said the vessel was “sailing toward the Senkakus.”
The islands in the East China Sea, whose seabed is believed to harbor valuable mineral reserves, are known as Senkaku in Japanese and Diaoyu in Chinese. Both China and Taiwan claim them.

Chinese ships patrol off Diaoyu Islands/Chinese fleet monitors Japanese ships around Diaoyu Islands

1. Chinese ships patrol off Diaoyu Islands
The Chinese Embassy in Japan has expressed it would not accept protests from Japan’s Foreign Ministry against patrols by Chinese marine surveillance ships in waters off Diaoyu Islands. Japan’s Kyodo News reported three Chinese ships patrolled the waters off Diaoyu Islands Saturday.
And Naha regional Coast Guards in Japan’s Okinawa prefecture said the ships were again spotted on Sunday. The Coast Guards issued a warning against the Chinese ships, trying to dispel them away. But one of the ships responded that the Diaoyu Islands have been China’s inherent territory since ancient times.

Japan creating Diaoyu Islands tension: China FM

BEIJING, Jan. 18 (Xinhua) -- A spokesman for China's Foreign Ministry Friday accused Japan of creating tensions over the Diaoyu Islands, running against the trend of solving disputes through talks.
"The Japanese side has continued to take negative acts on the Diaoyu Islands issue for a period of time, and organized its Self Defense Force planes to interrupt Chinese planes' normal flights," Hong Lei said at a daily press briefing here.

FM: Japan's attempt to draw in third party is in vain/(Senkaku/Diaoyu issue)

China says it opposes any infringement of its sovereignty by Japanese aircraft or vessels and remains vigilant against such activities made by Japan. A spokesman for the Foreign Ministry made the remarks at a daily press briefing in response to a question about warning shots allegedly proposed by Japan at Chinese planes patrolling the Diaoyu islands.
Hong Lei, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman, said, "Diaoyu Island and its affiliated islets are China’s inherent territory. Patrols conducted by Chinese planes and ships in waters off the islands represent normal administrative activities for the purpose of exercising jurisdiction. China opposes any infringement on its sovereignty over the Diaoyu Islands committed by Japanese aircraft or vessels and remains vigilant against attempts to commit such acts.”