This study is going to try to find out if Chinese activities are provoking Japanese response. Therefore I formulate the following research question: Why did Japan change its military policy since 2013 and was it caused by increased Chinese activities in the East-China Sea? To answer my research question, I will first discuss the roots of the Senkaku dispute. Next, I will discuss China's strategy to assert its interests around the Senkaku’s. Then I will examine Japan's actions to protect the islands. In a final step, I will analyze whether Japan's actions are just responses to China.
Table of Contents
1. Introduction
2. Roots of Conflict
3. China's Strategy
4. Japan’s Strategy
5. Discussion
6. Conclusion
Objectives and Core Topics
This study aims to examine how increased Chinese activities in the East China Sea have influenced shifts in Japanese foreign and security policy since 2013, specifically focusing on the territorial dispute over the Senkaku Islands.
- The historical context and origins of the Senkaku Islands territorial dispute.
- China's implementation of "maritime grey zone operations" to assert sovereignty.
- Japan's institutional and military responses to maintain territorial integrity.
- The geopolitical implications of the U.S.-Japan security relationship in the region.
- The impact of China's military modernization and A2/AD strategies on regional stability.
Excerpt from the Book
3. China's Strategy
To understand Japan's response to China's threat to the sovereignty of the Senkaku Islands, it is helpful to know China's strategy regarding the islands. In the scientific literature the concept of “maritime grey zone operations” has emerged to describe China's actions in the East and South China Seas. Gray zone operations are actions carried out by states that wish to change the status quo in their favor but are not eager to engage in war for this purpose. As Mazarr (2015: 2) describes:
[States that proceed in this manner] maneuver in the ambiguous no-man’s-land between peace and war, reflecting the sort of aggressive, persistent, determined campaigns characteristic of warfare but without the overt use of military force.
After the 2010 “fishing boat” incident, China began its grey zone operations by sending Chinese Coast Guard (CCG) vessels to enter and linger in waters near the Senkaku’s (Cf. Liff 2019 a: 212). Following the nationalization of the islands by the Japanese government, China began dispatching CCG vessels to Japanese territorial waters (Cf. ibid.), and in 2013 the Chinese Ministry of Defense announced the establishment of their Air Defense Identification Zone (ADIZ) which overlaps with the existing ADIZ of Japan, South Korea, and Taiwan. The ADIZ extends 100 miles beyond the 12-nautical-mile-zone, but it is not part of the sovereign territory of a state. Its original idea is national security, essentially allowing nations to protect themselves from approaching danger. Foreign aircrafts flying through a country's ADIZ must identify themselves and state their flight plan. China's ADIZ includes the entire zone over the Senkaku Islands. The overlapping region has created a new environment in which Japanese and Chinese fighter jets interact daily. This has added to the already, tense atmosphere in the sea by creating an uncertain situation in the air (Green et al. 2017: 155-157). In 2015, the JCG reported seeing an armed CCG vessel near the Senkaku’s for the first time (Cf. Reuters 2015).
Chapter Summaries
1. Introduction: Outlines the shift in geopolitical power in Asia and the growing territorial tensions between China and Japan over the Senkaku Islands, establishing the research question.
2. Roots of Conflict: Examines the historical and strategic reasons behind the dispute, including the impact of potential resource discovery and the differing interpretations of post-war treaties.
3. China's Strategy: Details China's use of "grey zone operations," including coast guard incursions and the establishment of an ADIZ, to challenge the status quo.
4. Japan’s Strategy: Analyzes Japan’s institutional reforms, the reinterpretation of its constitution for collective self-defense, and military modernizations to counter Chinese pressure.
5. Discussion: Synthesizes how China's assertive actions have necessitated a shift in Japanese policy, resulting in a more active defense posture and increased cooperation with the U.S.
6. Conclusion: Summarizes findings, confirming that China's strategy has been the primary driver for Japan’s hardening security policy and defensive preparations.
Keywords
Senkaku Islands, China, Japan, Security Policy, Grey Zone Operations, Territorial Dispute, East China Sea, Maritime Law, Coast Guard, Self-Defense Forces, Geopolitics, Sovereignty, Indo-Pacific, Article 9, Military Modernization.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the primary focus of this research paper?
The paper examines how China's increasing territorial assertiveness in the East China Sea has caused Japan to shift from a passive, post-war defense stance to a more active and robust national security policy.
What are the central themes covered in the text?
The core themes include the territorial dispute over the Senkaku Islands, the evolution of Chinese maritime strategy, the transformation of Japanese defense institutions, and the role of the U.S.-Japan security alliance.
What is the core research question addressed?
The study asks why Japan changed its military policy since 2013 and whether this change was directly caused by increased Chinese activities in the East China Sea.
Which scientific methodology is employed?
The author uses a qualitative case study approach, reviewing and analyzing major geopolitical events and government documents from 2010 to 2021 to identify correlations between Chinese actions and Japanese policy responses.
What does the main body of the work cover?
The main body covers the history of the conflict, the specifics of China's "grey zone" tactics, Japan's legislative and military responses (such as the reinterpretation of Article 9), and a discussion on the strategic implications of these developments.
Which keywords best characterize this work?
Key terms include Senkaku Islands, Grey Zone Operations, Security Policy, Maritime Law, and Geopolitics.
What specific impact did the 2010 fishing boat incident have?
It acted as a catalyst that revived a frozen dispute, worsening diplomatic relations and increasing public awareness in Japan, which eventually led to the nationalization of the islands.
How does the author define China's "grey zone operations"?
These are defined as persistent, aggressive campaigns carried out by a state to change the status quo in its favor without using overt military force or triggering a full-scale war.
- Arbeit zitieren
- Nuza Kapanadse (Autor:in), 2021, Japan's Changing Security Policy. Chinas activity in the East China Sea, München, GRIN Verlag, https://www.grin.com/document/1190738
