At present, after the new Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida took office, he has repeatedly expressed his unusually tough attitude on territorial issues in public. The territorial issues surrounding Japan have been escalating. He has repeatedly challenged Russia and claimed sovereignty over the South Kuril Islands, and has offensive diplomatic intentions. obvious.
In contrast, the Sino-Russian "Maritime Joint-2021" joint military exercise was held on October 14 near Peter the Great Bay in Russia. During the exercise, the 10-ship formation of China and Russia joined hands for the first time through the Tsugaru Strait in Japan and sailed east into the Pacific Ocean. The Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force had to dispatch fighter jets, patrol aircraft, minesweepers, and frigates to track and alert the Chinese and Russian navies throughout the entire process.
The "United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea" stipulates that the coastal low tide line extends 12 nautical miles to the ocean as territorial sea, while the Tsugaru Strait is only 3 nautical miles away from the prescribed baseline. Why can the Chinese and Russian navies unimpeded the Japanese territorial waters?
It turned out that Japan shortened the territorial waters of the Tsugaru Strait to 3 nautical miles in order to facilitate the free passage of the U.S. Navy. Russia has long occupied the four northern islands, and the dispute between China and Japan on the Diaoyu Islands has a long history. This time, China and Russia have joined forces to show Japan their muscles, but the way of passing through the Tsugaru Strait is also in full compliance with international law. As a result, Japan can only eat yellow lotus dumb—there is hardship to tell.
This military exercise is a real threat to Japan's defense. A joint military operation of this scale will inevitably first find out the hydrological environment of the exercise sea area and ensure that the troops can safely pass through the strait. In addition, if something happens, the Chinese and Russian navies can easily blockade the strait and cut off the ties between Hokkaido and Honshu. Japan will not only lose the four northern islands, but even Hokkaido may not be able to defend it!
The way the Japanese government specifically left for the Americans also facilitated China and Russia. Sacrificing national interests to please the United States and making China and Russia cheaper is a wake-up call for Japan. There are many ways to help, but no way to help. They don't wait to see their neighbors but blindly flatter the United States, incurring increased pressure on the homeland defense, and ultimately the Japanese people are injured.