China Island Strategy 'Risky'
Updated: 2:13pm UK, Friday 29 November 2013
By Lisa Holland, Foreign Affairs Correspondent
Politically, nothing happens by accident in China.
It was no co-incidence that as China sent its fighter jets into the newly declared 'air defence identification zone', President Xi Jinping was visiting a site connected with the country's war-time struggle against Japan.
Mr Xi was quoted as saying "though life is becoming better, history can't be forgotten and those who made sacrifices for the new China's founding must be remembered".
Every few months the issue of islands in the East China Sea disputed by both China and Japan raises its head.
This is probably the first time since Mr Xi was made China's new leader that the country has flexed its muscles over the islands.
It is Mr Xi sending a message that China will not roll over when it comes to ownership of the islands.
The issue has become a hot topic in various (state-controlled) newspapers.
The Global Times praised the government for its "calm response in the face of provocations".
This kind of comment article doesn't appear by chance.
It means the Communist Party wants to send a message to the world and in particular to Japan and Japan's allies in the Pacific region, America.
Ties between China and Japan have become increasingly fraught over recent years.
The deep-rooted mistrust and regional rivalry goes back to Japan's occupation of part of China and the perceived lack of contrition by Japan over war-time atrocities.
But by raising the stakes over the islands China may have put itself in an awkward position.
It has informed the world that foreign aircraft passing through the new air defence zone - including passenger planes - would have to identify themselves to Chinese authorities.
Japan's two biggest airlines have defied the identification order. South Korea and the US have also flown through the zone.
China's Defence Ministry has said it would be "incorrect" to suggest China would shoot down aircraft which entered the zone without first identifying themselves.
But quite how China will respond and police its unilaterally declared zone appears unclear.
China wants to annoy its neighbours and assert its power in the region - particularly with America looking on.
There is a lot at stake - both in an economic sense but crucially also in terms of prestige.
With the islands come seabed resources which need to be explored along with local fisheries stocks.
But it is a risky strategy. Things can easily spiral out of control in the fast-moving air zone - and mistakes happen. If that is the case China will need to show it is no paper tiger. That could be dangerous.
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