Japan snatches Yonaguni Air Defense Zone

Japan has gone ahead and decided that airspace above Yonaguni island, the westernmost island in all of Japan, is indeed entirely Japan’s responsibility. That may sound like a no-brainer, but during the 1950s, the United States controlled Yonguni and the rest of the Ryukyu islands and decided to split control of the airspace with Taiwan. Taiwan is not happy.

On June 26, Japan unilaterally extended the ADIZ [Air Defense Identification Zone--JSW] line westwards by 22 kilometers. As a result, Taiwanese and Japanese AIDZs now overlap. That Tokyo seems willing to put up with the prospect of doing damage to Taiwan-Japan relations shows how much it worries about China’s military activities in the East China Sea. (Link)

You might think the Taiwanese–who at times seem rather unserious about the defense of their own country–might be relieved that an excessive burden to their defense responsibilities has ended. Why should they be responsible for the air defense of a Japanese island? For Taiwan though, this is not relief but a painful dent in their sovereignty, made by a country that doesn’t even technically recognize the Taiwanese government. In the end it’s not even about them, it’s about China. Well, the other China.

There’s not much Taiwan can do about it. A military confrontation is out of the question, and diplomatically Japan doesn’t even recognize Taiwan, so it’s not like the Taiwanese can call in the Japanese ambassador in Taipei and read him or her the riot act. Japanese interests are unofficially represented by a trade office in Taipei. Taiwan can fume, but that’s it.

I'm not really a fan of that blog. Very amateurish. Reminds me of someone jumping into the deep end before they have mastered the ability to swim.

The blog piece is based on this article:
Japan takes a shot at China- via Taiwan, which while containing a lot more background information still relies a bit too heavily, IMO, on 2nd and 3rd party opinions.
Oil, fishing rights and "face" is what this is about. Taiwan is known to stick poor troopies on rocks out in the sea manning a "radar watch position" just to establish a claim to an atoll. Sketchy but thats what they do. This is a rather important place and I would have preferred some type of shared space treaty have been used rather than this bit of heavy-hand diplomacy by Japan.
But, the arrogant Nipon bastards won't give diplo acknowledgment so this is what happens.

By the way, its merely for show - the "Non-recognition" thing. There are extremely close ties between Taiwan-Japan in industry, trade, economics, tourism and, as of recent, medical tourism.
Don't think there is not mutual co-operation going on below the "what you read in a blog" level.

Great blog!

Very interested in Japan security-related matters so I’ll be checking in on a regular basis.

Great find!

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