US, Japan war of words with China aflame over disputed islands

[unhappycamper]

http://www.rawstory.com/rs/2013/11/24/us-japan-war-of-words-with-china-aflame-over-disputed-islands/



US, Japan war of words with China aflame over disputed islands
By Simon Tisdall, The Guardian
Sunday, November 24, 2013 18:00 EST

A simmering territorial and maritime dispute in Asia erupted at the weekend as Washington warned Beijing it would back Japan militarily in any confrontation arising from China’s latest unilateral assertion of its claims.

The Obama administration weighed in after China moved to in effect “rope off” the seas and skies around the disputed Japanese-administered Senkaku islands in the east China Sea.

In a tough statement reflecting the surprise and alarm felt in Washington and Tokyo at China’s perceived sudden escalation of the dispute, Chuck Hagel, defense secretary, said the US was “deeply concerned” at the development, in which China appears to be trying to control who can enter and leave the area.

The imposition of the zone was a “destabilizing attempt to alter the status quo in the region”, Hagel said. “This unilateral action increases the risk of misunderstanding and miscalculations … We are in close consultation with our allies and partners in the region, including Japan. We remain steadfast in our commitments.”

[Laelth]

1. k&r for exposure. n/t

-Laelth

[FreakinDJ]

2. Natural Gas

China didn't give a shit about those islands until they found natural gas under them