Category Archives: Far East

Did China Murder a Japanese Ambassador?

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As China makes moves to militarily seize Japanese territory and the Chi-Coms organize domestic protests to whip their population up into a frenzy for the coming war a Japanese ambassador to China has died of an unspecified” illness.

From Bloomberg:

Japan’s new ambassador to China died this morning following an unspecified illness, the Foreign Ministry said today, five days after his appointment amid an intensifying territorial dispute between the two countries.

Incoming envoy Shinichi Nishimiya, 60, was hospitalized on Sept. 13, the ministry said at the time. Nishimiya collapsed and lost consciousness near his Tokyo home, Kyodo News reported, without saying where it got the information.

Tensions between Asia’s two largest economies have risen over rights to uninhabited islands in the East China Sea known as Senkaku in Japanese and Diaoyu in Chinese. The Japanese government nationalized the islands last week and China dispatched six government vessels to nearby waters.

Japan announced on Sept. 11 that Nishimiya would replace Uichiro Niwa, the first private-sector appointee to become ambassador to China. Niwa’s car was blocked and the Japanese flag attached to it ripped off by assailants in Beijing last month.

Japan’s foreign minister and defense chief returned to Tokyo yesterday, cutting short a visit to Australia as anti- Japanese protests flared up across China.

Sounds suspicious to me. I’m betting China is waiting for things to blow up in the Middle East so they can start making moves on our allies in Asia.

h/t Once Upon the Time in the West

WW III Watch:China Moves to Seize Japanese Island

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This is the result of weak American leadership:

TOKYO (majirox news) — Tensions between China and Japan over the Senkaku Islands, known the Diayu Islands in China, located in the East China Sea escalated.

The Japanese media reported that China dispatched four maritime ships toward the islands after the Japanese government purchased three of the disputed islands on September 11 for approximately $26 million from a private Japanese owner. China says it is an attempt to “steal its property” and they are ready to “assert” the country’s sovereignty over the islands.
“I don’t believe it will grow into a military confrontation,” said Koichiro Yoshida, vice president of the Tokyo Metropolitan Assembly and ruling Democratic Party of Japan member. “But if it does and the Chinese vessels enter the territorial waters around the Islands, Japan should take aggressive measures. We must protect the rights of our citizens and our sovereignty over the islands.”

The dispute is spilling over into Japan’s economy. For example, Nissan Motor’s sales in August fell and many joint events as well as Chinese tours to Japan have been canceled.

“But I don’t expect it to have a massive negative impact on our economic relations,” Yoshida said. “Japan is a major investor and China is our largest trading partner. Although Chinese consumers might not buy Japanese brands because of this. I suspect there is too much at risk for both countries, but it will be more damaging for China.”
The islands are near rich fishing grounds and believed to contain undersea natural gas and oil fields.

Japan can say what they want but the Chi-Coms need that oil more than they need Japanese electronics.

h/t The Extinction Protocol

UN Workers Convicted of Starting Jihad Riots in Burma

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From the Irrawaddy:

RANGOON—A court in Burma has sentenced two United Nations staff members to prison terms for their alleged involvement in a spate of bloody communal violence in the west of the country in June, the world body said Monday.

The punishments were handed down Friday in the Arakan (Rakhine) State town of Maungdaw, said Aye Win, a UN spokesman based in Burma. One of those sentenced was an employee of the UN refugee agency and the other the UN World Food Program.

[…]

The Burmese Weekly Eleven journal reported that the staffers—all believed to be from the local Muslim community—were charged with various crimes, including promoting hatred between Buddhists and Muslims and participation in arson attacks. The paper cited anonymous court sources in its report, and said the sentences ranged from two to six years.

Violence between Arakanese Buddhists and Rohingya Muslims exploded in June, leaving more 80 people dead and thousands of homes burned to the ground. Human rights groups say around 100,000 people were displaced during the conflict. They have accused the government over cracking down too harshly on Muslims, allegations the government has denied.

Doctors Without Borders and other aid groups also were employing Jihadists. Nice work Liberals!

h/t Religion of Peace

South Korea Returns Fire on North Korean Artillery Position

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This actually happens more than you would think but it’s always nerve racking. From Alertnet :

SEOUL, Jan 27 (Reuters) – South Korea has returned fire after North Korea shot several artillery rounds into waters near a disputed sea border with the South on Wednesday, Yonhap news agency reported an unnamed military source as saying.

North Korea on Tuesday declared a no-sail zone in the waters off its west coast, according to media reports in the South.

Via N.T.A. who is keeping track of this story.

Taiwan Missile Crisis?

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From the Times Online:

Taiwan appears ready to unveil at next week’s National Day a cruise missile capable of hitting targets in China. The move is likely to raise tensions between the countries. A defence ministry informant said it was probable that the “tactical shore-based missile for fire suppression” would be displayed in Taipei next Wednesday when the island holds its first National Day military parade in 16 years.

Tension has been rising between China and Taiwan, which split amid civil war in 1949. China claims Taiwan as part of its territory and has threatened to attack if the democratic island takes steps to formalise its de facto independence.

Western analysts say the weapon being discussed is the Hsiung Feng IIE surface-to-surface missile, which Taiwan has reportedly tested but has not displayed or deployed. It is believed to have a range of about 1,000 kilometers (620 miles), which would enable it to strike China’s financial centre and biggest city, Shanghai. However, some analysts wonder if the missile can be fired successfully without US satellite guidance technology. (AP)

As Japan begins beef up it’s military capability in the face of American withdrawal from the far east, and reports that nationalist factions within the Chinese Communist Party are pushing for an invasion of Taiwan out of fear that U.N. recognition of the breakaway republic will undermine their rule the far east may be the flashpoint that brings the world to war.

Japan has recently signed a defense agreement with Australia, and is currently in a dispute with China over deep sea natural gas resources which has led the CCP to stage anti-Japanese riots, perhaps as preparation of the Chinese population for a war with Japan. Japan and Taiwan are both united in opposition to Chinese and their client state North Korea’s military aggression. Should things come to a head over Taiwan, Japan and Australia, along with the U.S., may be forced to act.

h/t Theo Sparks