Patriotic Water Games

The Asahi Shimbun is reporting that eight Chinese maritime constabulary forces ships have crossed into Japanese territorial waters, the largest fleet of ships simultaneously engaging in provocative border crossings since the Noda government purchased the privately held islands of the tiny archipelago. (Link - J)

Great, just what is needed to keep everything calm in the backwash from the weekend visits to Yasukuni by members of the Abe Cabinet. (Link)

Just the way to steer clear of incidents at sea possibly involving a flotilla of right wing activists, also sullying the waters putting up a show of force near the Senkakus. (Link)

So much for the feelers being extended toward establishment a Sino-Japanese entente on a deescalation of tensions over the islands.


Later - Elaine Kurtzenbach and Mari Yamaguchi do an excellent job in tying all the bits together. (Link)

Image courtesy: NHK