This could get very ugly, very quickly

Nothing is going happened. Didn't this happened last year or maybe two years ago about disputed land between Japan and China. Shit China also has disputed land with India and has never escalated to a full blown out war.

Would be devastating to all parties involved as U.S, China and Japan carry nukes.

stop being so sensationalist nothing is going to happen

I don't believe Japan carries or at least has control over nuclear weapons without authorization from US military personnel.

The US does have a nuclear weapons sharing program with NATO (under the control of USAF personnel) but to the best of my knowledge Japan doesn't have nuclear weapons and we don't share them with Japan.

This is going to be an opening for the loosening of Japan's civil defense force and rebuilding of their military. What Abe needs to juice his economy.

And will be good for US defense companies looking for another military to arm.

China is going to keep doing shit like this, testing the wire. Like the raptors in Jurassic park. Just waiting for a weakness. I AM glad the US responded quickly and definitively.

I agree.

I just saw a report talking about Chinese buyers flooding into the SoCal market buying homes. This to me is either the tip of inflation or the Chinese housing market heating up. Combine this with wages increase and more people protesting and you have a government that worries about civil unrest.

IMO, authoritarian counties use national pride as a way to calm unrest. IE. Taiwan, these islands, etc. China is fast transitioning from a brown water navy to one that can project force. When this happens we all better watch out.

Non-event imo

What is it about the free world that pisses the rest of the world off?

ANT we're a nuclear power.

We need to be concerned about the rise of China, but MAD basically protects US sovereignty.

I really, really want to see a China-Japan conflict play out in an alternate universe.

The CCP is getting nervous looking at their projected GDP. They haven't wanted to accept that allowing more civil freedoms will will lead to more domestic tranquility (their actual priority) than buying the citizens off with 17% annual growth to compensate for miserable living conditions. Now that growth is flagging, they're taking a walk down memory lane and falling back on the old totalitarian tack: rile the public up with some good old fashioned nationalism.

The U.S. has been building a security perimeter around China for a while now: Japan, Australia, the island chains, and India are all in cooperation. Juicing the system a bit with some sabre rattling can be good for business for a little while, but I'm pretty sure that China understands that no one will come out the winner in a war.

I highly doubt that Japan will build up much of anything in their military given that China will certainly see it as an arms race: and most mainlanders still harbor resentment against Japan dating back to WWII. We can support them all they want, but the last thing Japan wants is to provoke their neighbor. If China does build up their navy, my guess is that it will be used first and foremost in the protection of shipping lanes....or at least, that's their marketing strategy. The reality is that they're going to buy some new toys for their military and they want to be a world power. The good news is that their culture is inward faced and highly unlikely to want conquest: they want wealth and status more. Frankly, they don't consider other cultures to be worth conquering.

Several countries have taken to acting a fool and trash talking the U.S. as weak because the current administration isn't very hawkish. But rest assured, the US is in complete control of the geostrategic landscape, and anyone would be wise not to try and kid themself. Let them shoot their mouths off. Of all the nations that the US has ever squared off against, China is most likely to realize ahead of time the futility of unhealthy competition between us.

Personally, I'm still optimistic about the CCP loosening the reigns when they run all the scenarios and come to the conclusion that they need to get with the times.

TLDR: meh, no biggie, I rather wish I was a real estate broker in CA lately....they're making a friggin killing

I have a feeling China just wanted to create an opportunity to use their one aircraft carrier for its first time ever.

I agree our sovereignty isn't at risk, but how far would we go to protect an ally. That's the question. I think this is just anti Japanese sentiment right now, but China is starting to flex their muscle more and more.

Nothing is going to happen - it's a face thing. All three are huge trade partners, there's nothing worse than destroying your biggest trade partner.

Yup. There will be lots of bluster from the blowhards because that's what they do. Realistically, China paid attention to Russia's mistakes last century and learned from them.

@IlliniProgrammer; Isn't MAD a bit dated at this point? That's some Cold War nuclear policy. Didn't Reagan or someone usher in "Star Wars" (i.e. NUTS, not a joke)?

@Magneton

I think your view is 100% correct. China is seeking to assert its power and Japan needs to defend its own influence in the region, but they're still trade partners and it will take a lot more than that to destroy the relationship (with obvious signs in global markets, as well).

@Anihilist

I wondered that myself at the mention of MAD; the concept is obviously still relevant but I don't think that the practical implications of nuclear warfare even need to be discussed given the state of foreign relations and nuclear policy in place now.

Mad will remain relevant until we can shoot down all incoming missiles and/or we are dealing with non state actors.