isabelle comments

Typical provocation from our tiresome, totalitarian neighbors.

Let's see the usual suspects try to dismiss it as "innocent passage," or "an inalienable part of China's territorial integrity since ancient times with Chinese characteristics and common prosperity and new productive forces in win-win cooperation."

Or whatever their masters command them to call it this week.

Totally wrong. The US has learned nothing from past misadventures like Iraq.

Trump has an almost unrivaled ability to ignore those giving him good advice, whilst being swayed by literally some of the worst people in the world like Netanyahu and Putin.

The "no war" president... starts another war.

Mr KiplingToday 08:59 pm JST

Exactly as happened a week ago in international waters near Japanese territory. The only difference was the "outrage" when it was a Chinese ship.

You're willfully ignoring the facts, and looking more ridiculous with each post.

The "outrage" was over the Chinese fighter's dangerous approach within 45m of the Japanese plane (which wasn't threatening China's deployment, only surveilling -- just as China and everyone else does).

The deployment itself was reported on, as it was the first time a Chinese aircraft carrier had crossed the Second Island Chain, but the aggressive act was the aircraft, not the sailing in international waters.

You cannot have it both ways, either both are OK or both are "acts of aggression".

Again, show me where China's innocent passage through international waters -- and doing nothing else untoward -- is reported as an "act of aggression."

deanzaZZRToday 05:27 pm JST

What is bizarre is someone with such strong opinions on matters of Chinese territorial integrity seemingly does not understand...

I know the history. None of it gives the PRC the right to rule Taiwan, and its threatening actions violate the UN Charter and basic decency.

People who assert that "Taiwan is a province of the PRC" (as you, and all the other cheerleaders do) are ignoring reality. You can repeat your Xi Jinping Thought all you want: it simply is not true.

Your constant calls for annexation are, quite simply, abhorrent.

Mr KiplingToday 11:51 am JST

But when China does this it is always described as an act of aggression.

This claim is false.

It's certainly not "always described as an act of aggression."

If you can provide articles that call China's innocent passage through international waters -- and doing nothing else untoward -- an "act of aggression" I'd like to read them. If they do exist, the outlet must have pretty poor journalistic principles.

(And, even if some do exist, that's certainly not "always.")

deanzaZZRToday 11:03 am JST

Zero merit?

https://thechinaproject.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/08/Chiang-Kai-shek-and-Mao-Zedong.jpg

How on earth would that picture give merit to the PRC's claim?

That's just bizarre.

JJEToday 10:26 am JST

Important to observe Taiwan lacks valid UN recognition

All due to PRC threats and pressure. The problem here is 100% PRC, 0% Taiwan.

(And, FYI, Ukraine has UN recognition but that didn't stop your Kremlin war criminals invading.)

and Beijing's claim has much merit under international law.

It has zero merit, and Beijing's actions violate the UN Charter:

...

https://untso.unmissions.org/sites/default/files/united_nations_charter.pdf

3. All Members shall settle their international disputes by peaceful means in such a manner that international peace and security, and justice, are not endangered.

4. All Members shall refrain in their international relations from the threat or use of force against the territorial integrity or political independence of any state, or in any other manner inconsistent with the Purposes of the United Nations.

This is one instance where I hope Trump does listen to Uncle Vlad. The US attacking Iran is wrong on both a moral, and strategic level.

Even the realpolitik types (who will ignore the moral aspect) should see that this can easily become a quagmire for the US, result in even more instability in the Middle East, and take away much-needed resources from the China threat.

Of course, Russia's reasons for wanting to avoid war are very different (not losing an ally, and not interrupting the flow of Shahed drones, for instance) but war with Iran serves no-one's interests except Israel.

TamaramaToday 07:45 am JST

TaiWaniSnotchina

“Sailing in international waters can’t possibly be an act of aggression”

Unless it is done by China, apparently.

No-one has accused China of an act of aggression simply for sailing through international waters.

They rightly accuse China for flying/sailing dangerously close to other nations' aircraft/vessels; ramming and water-cannoning legally-operating ships; loitering in other nations' territorial waters (UNCLOS Article 17 only allows innocent passage); and other malign acts.

Of course, PRC fans always try to draw a false equivalence with these very different things, but no-one is fooled by their lies.

Didn’t the original incident quoted in the article occur in international waters and involve a Japanese surveillance plane flying close to the Chinese aircraft carriers? That’s also provocative.

The Japanese plane was surveilling the area -- just as China, and everyone else does. But it was operating lawfully and safely. Then, China committed an aggressive, dangerous act, flying within 45m.

As ever, the aggression is all on the Chinese side.

John-SanToday 07:13 am JST

Tai: they are giving the finger China. Is there any need to navigate that course. There is a lot of infrastructure on the sea bed in that strait connecting the Chinese province to the mainland. There no need to sail that course. It an act of stupidity at the lease.

There is no need for the PRC to claim Taiwan, which it has never once ruled, or vast swaths of sea that don't belong to it under a fictitious 9/10-dash line, and illegally occupy and militarize areas.

It's only because China doesn't follow the law that you perceive this as "giving the finger."

Chinese province

No matter how many times you all try the line, Taiwan is not a "Chinese province."

Saying so just marks you out as a CCP reality-denier.

Mr KiplingToday 06:37 am JST

An unbiased report would state that this is an act of aggression by Japan.

Sailing through international waters is not an act of aggression.

Flying jets dangerously close to other nations' aircraft, as China did to Japan, is aggression.

virusrexToday 04:15 pm JST

Saying that Japan could defend itself from China just by its own military is beyond what is believable

Nowhere have I said this.

Straw man.

Not defeatist but realist, the increase as proposed would make no difference

Even with everything you've typed, you still have not proved this.

And you will never be able to prove it, as the policy hasn't been made yet. You can't dismiss something that doesn't exist.

JJEToday 03:09 pm JST

There is zero point in further coverage of the G7 once Trump has bailed.

There is plenty of point in covering the sanctions imposed against your Russian war criminals, and the increased aid for the Ukrainians being brutally invaded by your Russian war criminals.

virusrexToday 02:32 pm JST

Would it let Japan defend itself? no. Would it let it resist more time? no.

You simply cannot know this, so cannot make this argument convincingly.

And Ukraine has not done that because of its military spending, it is not like it does not have a lot of support from other countries, this would work much more against your position than for it.

Ukraine has also increased its own spending, plus vastly increased its indigenous production of things like drones. Both have helped enormously.

(And, if you're including overseas support, be sure to include Russia's support from China/North Korea/Iran etc.)

How much deterrence are you imagining a difference of increasing from a 25% to a 25.5%? because that is what the increment would represent.

That depends on how the increase is spent, which isn't covered in the article. The policy hasn't been made yet.

a terribly illogical appeal to emotion.

If you've read it like that, you're reading it wrong.

A threat against which the current Japanese military represents no realistic defense

Of course, the PRC would love Japan just to give up like that.

Happily, the Japanese government, just like the Ukrainian government and many others facing threats, doesn't have this defeatist attitude.

virusrexToday 01:40 pm JST

The argument is that if that is the goal for the spending then reducing it or increasing it a 50% makes no real difference Japan would still remain hopelessly behind. So there is absolutely no point in a 2% increase that would actually make a difference in much more urgent priorities for the country.

How do you know it would make "no real difference," and there would be "absolutely no point?"

Ukraine has a much smaller military budget than Russia, but it has inflicted around a million casualties (or use your preferred estimate), and Russia's actions have been catastrophic for its economy, and international relations.

The argument for increased spending is that it raises the cost of aggression, thus hopefully deterring the aggressor. Xi is unlikely to attack Japan (or Taiwan, or anywhere else with a smaller budget) if he knows he may end up like Russia.

Why? is it necessary for people that do to stop being logical and act purely on invalid appeals?

Nothing in my post is an "invalid appeal."

There is a well-documented threat from China. The fact that China has a bigger budget does not mean that Japan should stop trying to improve its capabilities.

Mr KiplingToday 01:11 pm JST

No but it is the US pushing the myth that China is a threat to Japan. It is not. China is only interested in asserting its rights as a nation and standing up to US aggression.

And how do you explain away all the information on the Chinese threat in the Defense of Japan whitepaper, and other literature?

How exactly are you countering these fact-based assessments?

Are you saying they're all false? Perhaps made up by the US?

Just google US bases in the far east for a picture of who is threatening who.

My, my - we're really flying with CCP Bingo today. All the classic lines being rolled out.

For the thousandth -- though, no doubt, not the last -- time...

US bases: All there legally, by agreement with the host nations.

China's SCS bases: 100% illegal.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/South_China_Sea_Arbitration#Award

virusrexToday 11:19 am JST

If China is the enemy, that still means the spending is for all practical meanings worthless, Japan would have to spend at least 400% of what is currently using just to stop lagging more and more behind China, so an increase of a tiny fraction do not change absolutely nothing.

What a truly ludicrous argument. An aggressive neighbor has a bigger military budget, so you just stop trying?

I guess you don't work in national security.

quercetumToday 11:41 am JST

Have you no shame Defense Panel—or did you trade it in for a shiny new missile system and a pat on the back from Uncle Sam?

Yet again, blaming the US in a pathetic attempt to deflect from PRC aggression.

It won't work.

"Putin speaks to me. He doesn't speak to anybody else

Putin lies to you, Donald. Just like he lies to everybody else.

The difference is that you don't realize it.

sakurasukiToday 06:50 am JST

However those panel never mentioned how Japan supposed get that money?

Because that isn't its job.

AlongfortherideToday 08:41 am JST

Pathetic waste of tax payer money.

Only if you ignore the fact that Japan lives right next door to the aggressive, revisionist China, North Korea, and Russia. Any government that doesn't spend tax payer money on countering such threats would be guilty of dereliction of duty.

The threats are well-known, and well-documented, with China being right at the top of the list. Per the whitepaper:

...

China’s current external stance, military activities, and other activities have become a matter of serious concern for Japan and the international community, and present an unprecedented and the greatest strategic challenge in ensuring the peace and security of Japan and the peace and stability of the international community, as well as in strengthening the international order based on the rule of law, to which Japan should respond with its comprehensive national power including its defense capabilities and in cooperation and collaboration with its ally, like-minded countries, and others.

Mr KiplingToday 06:52 am JST

Panel? It is the US master who wants Japan to increase "defense" spending primarily on US manufactured weapons.

Ah, the "blame the US" card. The traditional, tired tactic of the pro-PRC/Russia crowd in their pathetic attempts at deflection.

Some of the money will go on US weapons, but much of it won't. For anyone interested in the truth -- rather than anti-US propaganda -- Japan has considerable indigenous capabilities, and runs a variety of programs that don't involve the US, such as the Global Combat Air Programme, and its railgun program.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Global_Combat_Air_Programme

https://www.navalnews.com/naval-news/2025/04/japan-releases-image-of-railgun-installed-on-naval-vessel/

Peter NeilToday 07:37 am JST

Defending against whom? Papua New Guinea? The Philippines? Greenland? Is North Korea going to attack Japan? Of course not. It just threatens and rattle swords to get attention.

Japan has nothing other countries need. No resources, no oil. China will attack Japan because it wants to rid the world of Hello Kitty?

BertieWoosterToday 10:13 am JST

Why, when so many people are obviously against it, does Japan insist on frittering away huge money? No one is attacking or likely to. All China wants is to trade. They are no threat at least not in a military way.

All the threats are detailed in the Defense of Japan whitepaper. Anyone who wants to understand Japan's threat environment should read it.

https://www.mod.go.jp/en/publ/w_paper/index.html

And if they do read it, and still claim that Japan faces no threats, then I would question their reading comprehension skills. Or their motives.

YrralToday 06:53 pm JST

This show how Japan is no more than vassal state of the US,has no say so nukes in it own soil

It shows nothing of the sort.

What it shows is the situation in the 1960s, before Okinawa reverted to Japan in 1972. That situation is very different now.

Not that that will stop the pro-PRC/anti-US/anti-Japan crowd falsely claiming that Japan is a "vassal" that is "occupied" by the US, with bases that are "forced" upon Japan.

JimToday 01:57 pm JST

As long as America is a close ally of Japan and South Korea, both these countries will never be able to build close relationships with other countries. It won’t benefit America so they won’t allow it to happen.

Your post is astonishingly inaccurate: the opposite of the actual situation.

The US is trying to get South Korea and Japan closer together to better guard against China and North Korea. SK/Japan arguing is bad for US interests (and Korean and Japanese ones), not good.

And America meddled by conspiring Australian government to develop bad relations with China and thus China put bans on beef, wine and Barley from Australia

No, Australia called for a transparent investigation into COVID. The CCP threw a fit, as it wants to hide its key role in the deaths and sickening of millions, and started a trade war.

But this backfired: Australia diversified its markets, whilst China suffered blackouts and rising prices. Then, China came crawling back.

...

https://www.abc.net.au/news/2023-04-18/has-chinas-trade-war-with-australia-really-ended/102233666

With critical shortages of coal two years ago, much of regional China faced crippling blackouts during one of the harshest winters on record.

Like most fungible commodities, Australian exporters simply moved to other markets as India, Japan and South Korea picked up the slack.

Exports to Japan more than doubled while South Korea and India lifted their purchases by around 72 per cent each.

If Lee really does want good relations with Japan (and I am skeptical of his sincerity, given his long-standing anti-Japan rhetoric) he must honor the 1965 Treaty on Basic Relations, and accept that reparations are now finished.

Any further compensation to victims is the responsibility of the Korean government, not Japan.

If Lee does not honor the treaty, relations will worsen.

GuruMickToday 11:51 am JST

This advertisement for the CCP is highly amusing, both for what it asserts, and what it ignores.

Certainly , from the 90,s onwards, Chinese people are enjoying freedoms they did not have, even before Mao

And they are also "enjoying" levels of surveillance and repression they did not have, even during Mao.

with overseas travel thriving

Where people will still be targeted by the CCP if they fall out of line (university campus informants, illegal police stations, social media monitoring, etc.)

home ownership or rentals in cities at a higher quality,

And a property market collapse.

education

"with Chinese characteristics."

less division between the sexes

Highly debatable.

But if Chinese women complain, there's always the trafficked ones from North Korea and SE Asia...

https://thediplomat.com/2025/05/chinas-sex-industry-and-the-human-trafficking-crisis-a-deepening-human-rights-emergency/

TamaramaToday 05:50 am JST

Course, it also makes things a little squirmy for those that try to argue that the US occupies bases in places like Okinawa purely because they are defending a country's 'freedom and liberty'.

Clearly, not the case.

Defending Japan is the bases' purpose (one of their purposes) now. It wasn't then.

I think anyone can acknowledge that... unless, perhaps, their intention is solely to discredit the US (and, by extension, promote the PRC).

deanzaZZRToday 10:40 am JST

Imagine the USA military launching nuclear strikes on China in the 1960s and the Chinese retaliating on Tokyo.

If it helps to push your pro-PRC narrative, sure you go ahead.

But it didn't happen then, and it won't happen now.

stickman1760Today 11:24 pm JST

I think you are confusing him with Asashoryu

No, I'm not.

(Asashoryu was far worse than Hakuho.)

many wrestlers do the things you point out.

Not if they want to be a respected yokozuna.

stickman1760Today 10:26 pm JST

If he was slapping faces at the start of every bout his opponents should have been able to easily adjust to that.

It's not a question of the opponent adjusting; it's a question of the conduct expected of a yokozuna.

There were several other things, such as:

1) Giving his already-virtually-defeated opponents an extra, non-needed shove out of the dohyou. If the other guy is already falling out, you're not supposed to smash him into row 10.

2) Using tachiai-henka.

3) "Strutting" following big victories.

These aren't "illegal," but they are unbecoming of a yokozuna. Behaving in this way will lower your standing in the eyes of spectators.

I see the pathetic attempts to deflect from China's aggression by blaming the US for everything (despite the US not being mentioned in the article) continue.

You guys really need to get some new material. The old stuff is pretty stale now...

John-SanToday 12:56 pm JST

Wrong county, you have China mix with the USA who are threating Canada, Greenland, Panama, really the all world except Israel.

BertieWoosterToday 05:31 pm JST

While the U.S.A. blusters, bullies and encircles China with its bases

John-SanToday 07:24 pm JST

China is not Asia enemy The USA is.

mikeylikesitToday 09:30 pm JST

the proper question is not whether China poses a military threat to Japan, but whether China poses a military threat to America and to American hegemony.

ianToday 04:49 pm JST

The USA is the biggest bully.

deanzaZZRToday 04:56 pm JST

American imperialism clearly does not recognize double standards or under Trump pretty much any standard at all.

I wonder if it's possible for the pro-PRC mob on here to construct an argument without blaming the US for everything?

I doubt it. After all... it's in the manual...

...

https://chinadigitaltimes.net/2011/06/future-banned-on-sina-weibo-search/

(1) To the extent possible make America the target of criticism. Play down the existence of Taiwan.

(4) Use America’s and other countries’ interference in international affairs to explain how Western democracy is actually an invasion of other countries and [how the West] is forcibly pushing [on other countries] Western values.

"It has been 25 years of being loved by sumo and loving sumo," the Mongolian-born Hakuho told reporters

He was undoubtedly very well supported, but I don't think he was "loved" by too many people, as his conduct sometimes wasn't befitting of a Yokozuna. A well-known example is his face slap at the start of almost every bout: unnecessary, and very unwelcome.

I enjoyed watching his immense skill, and particularly his dethroning of Asashoryu (who was frequently a disgrace to sumo), but in that era I much preferred Ama/Harumafuji (who also had his behavior problems, but was extremely exciting in the dohyou).

the new project called "World Sumo Grand Slam"

Sounds like it'll be a money-grabbing "glitz and glamor" thing, like the soccer World Cup, or India's IPL cricket.

If so, no thanks.

BertieWoosterToday 09:14 am JST

The US has surrounded China with bases.

GuruMickToday 09:55 am JST

US is the country hedging China in.

This line again. Yawn.

As ever...

US bases: all 100% legal, and requested by the host nations (mostly to combat Chinese aggression)

China's SCS bases: all 100% illegal