Japan threatens China over disputed islands landings

Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe vowed on Tuesday to "expel by force" any attempt by China to land on a disputed island chain after eight state-owned Chinese ships sailed into the territorial waters surrounding the archipelago.

Japan's prime minister Tuesday vowed to "expel by force" any Chinese landing on islands at the centre of a territorial row, after eight government vessels from China sailed into the disputed waters.

The latest clash over the islands came as 168 Japanese lawmakers visited the controversial Yasukuni war shrine in central Tokyo, seen as a potent symbol of Japan's imperialist past, riling its neighbours China and South Korea.

Tokyo summoned the Chinese ambassador to Japan on Tuesday after the eight state-owned Chinese ships sailed into its territorial waters. The flotilla is the biggest to sail into the disputed waters in a single day since Tokyo nationalised part of the archipelago in September.

Prime Minister Shinzo Abe vowed to "expel by force" any Chinese landing on the archipelago in the East China Sea.

"We would take decisive action against any attempt to enter territorial waters and to land" on the islands, Shinzo Abe told parliament in response to questions from lawmakers, adding: "We would never allow" a landing.

"It would be natural for us to expel by force if (the Chinese) were to make a landing," he said.

Chinese ships have frequently sailed around the five Tokyo-controlled islands in recent months sparking diplomatic clashes.

The Chinese maritime surveillance ships entered the 12-nautical-mile zone off the islands, which China calls Diaoyu and Japan calls the Senkaku, around 8:00 am (2300 GMT Monday), the Japan Coast Guard said in a statement.

"It is extremely deplorable and unacceptable that Chinese government ships are repeatedly entering Japanese territorial waters," Japan's Chief Cabinet Secretary Yoshihide Suga said. Map of the disputed islands in the East China Sea

A group of Japanese nationalists said it had sent nine ships to the area around the islands, which are also claimed by Taiwan.

The islands are surrounded by rich fishing grounds and are believed to harbour vast natural resources below the seabed.

In a separate territorial row, relations between Tokyo and South Korea have also been strained by a dispute over a Seoul-controlled chain of islets in the Sea of Japan (East Sea).

Seoul on Monday shelved a proposed trip by Foreign Minister Yun Byung-Se to Tokyo in protest at the trips made over the weekend by Japanese cabinet ministers to the Yasukuni war shrine.

Beijing also protested Monday about the weekend visits to the shrine, which is seen by Japan's Asian neighbours as a symbol of its wartime aggression as it honours 2.5 million war dead, including 14 leading war criminals.

China's Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Hua Chunying told reporters that Japan must atone for its past behaviour.

"Only by facing up to and repenting for its history of aggression can Japan create the future, and truly develop friendly and cooperative relations with its neighbours," Hua said.

Upper house member of parliament Toshiei Mizuochi confirmed that 168 Japanese lawmakers visited the shrine on Tuesday morning -- the annual visit usually draws a far smaller number of legislators.

Suga, who is the Japanese government's top spokesman, brushed off anger over the shrine visits, saying on Tuesday it was a personal matter for lawmakers.

"A visit to the Yasukuni is the matter of beliefs, and Japan ensures freedom of faith," he said.

"Therefore, the government should not interfere with visits if they are made by cabinet members or by parliament members."

Japan's Deputy Prime Minister Taro Aso and Keiji Furuya, the chief of the National Public Safety Commission, separately visited the Yasukuni shrine on Sunday.

Japan's premier did not make a pilgrimage but paid for equipment made of wood and fabric, bearing his name and title, which was used to decorate an altar.

> China is cruising for a bloody nose with most of it neighbors.

Indeed — from today’s news:

Chinese army helicopters violated Indian airspace: sources

April 23, 2013

http://www.ndtv.com/article/cheat-sheet/chinese-army-helicopters-violated-indian-airspace-sources-357640

Re" So it would be kind of difficult to justify incinerating a Muslim city just to get at some conspirator trying to enthrone himself at the expense of the current royals.

So, live and let live, eh? We just continue letting al Qaeda and other Islamic Terrorists take support from Muslim ruled countries and many, if not a majority, of their populations to kill our citizens and troops as normal church doctrine?

Granted, not each and ever follower of the Islamic faith are true, blue dedicated 100 percent to their religion just as not every Protestant, Catholic or Jew is set on their particular theology. However the basic tenet of Islam since Muhammad founded the religion is to convert or kill all infidel non believers.

Each religion down deep believes theirs is the one and only true way to a life after death, but Islam is the only one that tells its followers to go out and actually kill non believers as a matter of fact to gain a clear path to the afterlife.

So, what to do? I would rather fight to win as quickly as possible rather than let them literally nickle and dime us to death for years and years to come.

BTW at the Battle of Changban (from http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Zhang_Fei):

In 208, following the death of Liu Biao, Cao Cao launched a southern campaign to attack Jing Province. Liu Bei abandoned Xinye and led his followers, including both his troops and civilians, on an exodus towards Xiakou. Cao Cao's army caught up with the dilatory mass at Changban, Dangyang, after pursuing them for a day and a night. Zhang Fei led 20 horsemen to act as the rearguard and covered Liu Bei's escape. When they had all crossed the river, Zhang Fei ordered the bridges to be destroyed. He held his position at the opposite bank and shouted at the incoming enemy, "I'm Zhang Yide ("Yide" was Zhang Fei's style name). Come and fight me to the death!" No one dared to approach him and Zhang Fei successfully bought time for Liu Bei and his men to escape safely.

Seems your namesake was no live and let live wussy either--

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