China ‘warned’ Japan against operations in disputed sea

TOKYO

China has reportedly warned Japan against deploying its security forces to participate in the United States’ operations in the disputed South China Sea, according to a local media report Sunday.

Kyodo news agency cited unnamed diplomatic sources as saying that Beijing’s ambassador to Tokyo, Cheng Yonghua, told a high-level Japanese official that Tokyo would "cross a red line" if its Self-Defense Forces (SDF) vessels joined what the U.S. and its allies call “freedom of navigation” operations.

The remarks, made around late June, allegedly also hinted at possible military action if Japan were to take such actions.

Japan has no claims in the South China Sea, around 90 percent of which is claimed by Beijing despite other Asian counties considering some of its waters, islands and reefs as their territory.

The U.S. and its allies including Japan have, however, expressed alarm over China's reclamation work in the region, which includes the building of airfields, as they suspect the maritime expansion is aimed at extending its military reach.

The alleged warning by China’s envoy to Tokyo came ahead of a July 12 decision by an arbitration court in The Hague, which ruled in favor of the Philippines in its petition against China’s “nine-dash line” claim on a large part of the sea -- which Manila calls the West Philippine Sea.

China has accused the Philippines of having “deliberately mischaracterized” disputes in the sea, declaring the court's award "null and void".

According to Kyodo, Tokyo has “no plans” to join the freedom of navigation operations -- moves by the U.S. which Beijing has called provocative -- but “has left room” for deploying SDF vessels for the protection of U.S. ships.

After Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe’s cabinet decided to re-interpret the country’s pacifist post-World War II constitution to permit “collective defense” -- meaning the ability to support allies near Japan or partners in foreign peacekeeping operations -- parliament passed security laws aimed at expanding the scope of troops’ operations overseas.

The laws came into effective in March.

Despite having no claims in the South China Sea, which sees more than $5 trillion in maritime trade every year, Tokyo has disputes with Beijing in the East China Sea, especially the Senkaku Islands.

Earlier this month, Tokyo lodged several protests after Chinese government vessels reportedly entered waters claimed as Japanese territory.