China's expansive definitions of what is their territory isn't the problem that causes tension. The problem, the editors clearly believe, is that those on the receiving end of this aggression are preparing to resist Chinese claims:
Japan is sending 100 soldiers and radar to its westernmost outpost, a tropical island off Taiwan, in a deployment that risks angering China with ties between Asia's biggest economies already hurt by a dispute over nearby islands they both claim.
Japanese Defence Minister Itsunori Onodera will break ground on Saturday for a military lookout station on Yonaguni, which is home to 1,500 people and just 150 km (93 miles) from the disputed Japanese-held islands claimed by China.
Defending their own territory. How provocative.
I don't doubt that the Chinese will react with anger at such a move. But let's remember that China's reaction is not justified and it should not be a veto on perfectly normal Japanese decisions to defend their territory.
Japan's defense strategy is so far focused on dominating the air and sea following a Chinese land grab rather than holding the ground in the first place:
Japan's remote-island strategy, set out in the guidelines, is to "intercept and defeat any invasion by securing maritime supremacy and air superiority" with swift deployments supplementing troops positioned in advance.
"Should any remote islands be invaded, Japan will recapture them. In doing so, any ballistic missile or cruise missile attacks will be dealt with appropriately."
I think Japan can win that type of fight.
I also think Japan could supplement boots on the tiny ground by deploying robots to defend their tiny bits of land.
Resisting unreasonable Chinese demands is not provocative no matter how much the Chinese would like everyone else to just go along with China's claims.
