China’s long-standing rivalry with Japan in the East China Sea is heating up once again. In addition to their standing disputes over the Diaoyu/Senkaku Islands and Beijing’s attempts to break through the first island chain, it is looking more and more likely that Japan will wade into the South China Sea conflict as well. In response, China is turning to new capabilities and tactics in the East China Sea in an attempt to outmaneuver its Japanese adversary — and to remind Tokyo that interfering in the South China Sea will have consequences closer to home. Analysis

In November 2015, Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe announced that his country would consider sending the Japanese Maritime Self-Defense Force on patrols in the South China Sea. Meanwhile, Japan has been building up its relationships with Vietnam and the Philippines, both of which contest China’s territorial claims in the South China Sea. In fact, Tokyo has taken steps to explore a visiting forces agreement with Manila that would allow Japanese ships and aircraft to refuel in the Philippines and let Japanese military personnel use Philippine bases on a rotational basis.

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