Photo: RFA
Japan has joined a growing list of countries that are challenging China’s maritime claims in the South China Sea.
On Tuesday, Japan presented a one-page diplomatic note to the United Nations rejecting China’s baseline claims and denouncing its efforts to limit the freedom of navigation and overflight.
Japan’s note is the latest in series of recent criticisms of China’s position, joining submissions to the U.N. from the United Kingdom, France, Germany, Malaysia, Australia, Indonesia, Vietnam, the Philippines, and the United States.
This backlash suggests that China’s excessive claims and its assertive behavior are setting off alarm bells in in a growing number of capitals both in Southeast Asia and beyond.
By COREY DICKSTEIN | STARS AND STRIPES Published: January 19, 2021 Retired Army Gen. Lloyd Austin, President-elect Joe Biden’s nominee for defense secretary, committed Tuesday to rebalancing decision-making power in the Pentagon from military officials to career civilians and named addressing China and the ongoing coronavirus pandemic as his top priorities, if he is confirmed. Austin, who spent 41 years in the Army and retired in 2016 after leading the Defense Department’s U.S. Central Command, told the Senate Armed Services Committee that he understood the “enormous difference” between leading in uniform and serving as the civilian leader of the Pentagon. Like former Marine Gen. Jim Mattis, President Donald Trump’s first defense secretary, Austin requires a waiver of the law that mandates a seven-year “cooling-off period” for retired military officers before they can serve as the Pentagon’s top civilian.
The Senate returned to work in Washington on Tuesday to focus on confirming some of President-elect Joe Biden's key cabinet nominees, including his national security team.