Armed Maritime Lawfare with Chinese Characteristics

Photo from a Kyodo News aircraft shows the Chinese marine surveillance ship Haijian 51 (front) in Japanese territorial waters near the Japan-controlled Senkaku Islands in the East China Sea on Sept. 14, 2012. China also claims the islets and calls them the Diaoyu Islands. At back is a patrol ship of the Japan Coast Guard. (Kyodo)

China's policy of armed lawfare for control of island territories continues, this time with Japan.

Japan says six Chinese patrol ships have entered its territorial waters near disputed islands in the East China Sea, further heightening the tensions over the uninhabited archipelago claimed both by Tokyo and Beijing.

Japan's Coast Guard said two Chinese vessels entered Japanese waters early Friday, and four more vessels arrived soon after.  The Coast Guard says it has issued a warning for them to leave.

China's official news agency, Xinhua, Thursday quoted the Ministry of Agriculture as saying the vessels would be dispatched on routine patrol near the islands to assert China's sovereignty and protect fishermen.

The rocky islets, known as Senkaku in Japan and Diaoyu in China, have been the focus of recurring flare-ups between the two sides.

Additional reading material...

Down South at Scarborough Islands near the Philippines

3 Chinese ships seen in Scarborough - PCG
Philippines ready to redeploy ships to Scarborough Shoal—PCG

A few important opinions from China

Unity brings power: this concept holds good today
Diaoyu Islands baseline announcement significant: Chinese diplomat

This map in Google Earth may help with geography to understand which islands Japan is claiming.

There is a Typhoon expected in Okinawa by Sunday night, so that may impact the ability of Japan to sustain vessels in the area. The use of civilian maritime security agency vessels has consistently been a successful tactic by China in staking claims to maritime territories, and no one appears to have a credible idea how to standing up to China's provocations. This is the new normal, and apparently a very successful way China continues to discredit the US Pivot to Asia policy rhetoric as it relates to disputed territories.

Everyone needs new ideas towards managing China's aggressive presence with government maritime agency vessels, because all indications are China has stumped the diplomats with this tactic. Secretary Panetta will be in China and Japan this weekend. He should have plenty to discuss.