A prominent Chinese maritime analyst has sounded the alarm over Japan’s increasing military presence in the South China Sea, warning it has a “destructive potential” that could ultimately surpass that of the United States.
Speaking on Monday at a round table event in Hong Kong discussing security in the region, Wu Shicun, the founding president of China’s National Institute for South China Sea Studies, said “unilateral infringements” in the disputed waters were becoming “normalised”.
He told the event – jointly organised by the institute with the Huayang Centre for Maritime Cooperation and Ocean Governance and the Asian Academy of International Law – there had been a steep rise in military deployments, joint exercises and maritime patrols by countries outside the region.
During the exercise, Japanese forces fired a Type 88 surface-to-ship missile system outside its territory for the first time, using live rounds to strike a decommissioned Philippine Navy vessel.
“This is the first time that Japan has shown off its military muscle since the end of World War II,” Wu said.
