The Chinese Navy

[bayonetbrant]

I would be more than happy to help draft a strongly worded letter.

Use big red letters

[Centurion40]

And now this:

http://www.cnn.com/2013/02/07/world/asia/japan-russia-jets/index.html?hpt=hp_t3

(CNN) -- Japan's military scrambled fighters Thursday after two Russian SU-27 jets entered Japanese airspace off Rishiri Island near the tip of Japan's northernmost Hokkaido Island, according to the country's Defense Ministry.

The Russian jets left Japanese airspace without incident after a little more than a minute, the ministry said.
The incident occurred near territory disputed by Japan and Russia since the end of World War II.

Japanese officials lodged an official protest with Russia over the incident, Japan's Kyodo news service reported.

The Japanese might be getting a little edgy.

[Longdan]

Russians do that whenever they are bored and have saved up enough Jet B.
Territory disputed..since the end of World War II?  It has been a little longer than that
I think?

[Martok]

Territory disputed..since the end of World War II?  It has been a little longer than that
I think?

An argument can be made it went back to 1905 at least. 

[Staggerwing]

IIRC the two had a bit of a tiff right about then, with the Russians' losing custody of the yacht and the beach house.

[Mr. Bigglesworth]

"Other military experts suggest Beijing has decided to intensify its operations against Japan, a nation whose wartime aggression is remembered across Asia, because confrontations with smaller neighbors in recent years had led to a region-wide diplomatic backlash."The Senkaku/Diaoyu hoopla of late is triggered by China's desire to extricate itself from total regional isolation caused by China's expansive territorial claims against virtually all of its maritime neighbors," said Yu Maochun, an expert on the PLA at the Annapolis, Maryland United States Naval Academy. "

http://www.reuters.com/article/2013/03/06/us-china-japan-navy-idUSBRE9251GU20130306

So to cow the smaller countries, China is going after the big regional navy.

[besilarius]

Sounds like how Lucky Luciano muscled out the Irish mob in Brooklyn.

[LongBlade]

Around here someplace there was a post with a discussion of how Japan may be facing an energy shortage soon.

This has some parallels to the 1930s when Japan was short on energy and raw materials. We may see some kind of conflict over those islands in the not-too-distant future.

[Mr. Bigglesworth]

Around here someplace there was a post with a discussion of how Japan may be facing an energy shortage soon.

This has some parallels to the 1930s when Japan was short on energy and raw materials. We may see some kind of conflict over those islands in the not-too-distant future.

I remember something about that after they started shutting down their nuclear energy plants. They are welcome to Canadian oil.

I find myself thinking Australia, a country with a massive solar overheating problem, could become a solar to hydrogen power. They split sea water, ship the hydrogen to Japan. Japan gets clean power which they want. Building the infrastructure for a relatively small country would be easy. All points are fairly close to a coast for resupply. Building new energy tech would be good for their economy. Later, Canada buys their hydrogen tech for oil.

It tightens cooperation between Japan and the British Commonwealth.

[Martok]

So to cow the smaller countries, China is going after the big regional navy.

Also, they may generate at least a modicum of goodwill among their neighbors by confronting the former "big bully" on their block. 

[Boggit]

Around here someplace there was a post with a discussion of how Japan may be facing an energy shortage soon.

This has some parallels to the 1930s when Japan was short on energy and raw materials. We may see some kind of conflict over those islands in the not-too-distant future.

I remember something about that after they started shutting down their nuclear energy plants. They are welcome to Canadian oil.

I find myself thinking Australia, a country with a massive solar overheating problem, could become a solar to hydrogen power. They split sea water, ship the hydrogen to Japan. Japan gets clean power which they want. Building the infrastructure for a relatively small country would be easy. All points are fairly close to a coast for resupply. Building new energy tech would be good for their economy. Later, Canada buys their hydrogen tech for oil.

It tightens cooperation between Japan and the British Commonwealth.

Sounds a win-win sittuation.