Great Satan US, Japan launch 11-day naval drill in Japanese waters

The United States and Japan have launched a large joint military maneuver in the waters near the southern Japanese island of Okinawa.

The 11-day drill started on Monday with the presence of 34,100 troops from Japan and more than 10,000 American forces.

Japan’s Defense Ministry said the naval drill is aimed at increasing defense capabilities of the country in protecting its southwestern islands.

Japanese destroyers, an Aegis cruiser and US aircraft carrier George Washington are taking part in the maneuver.

Chinese Military Spokesman Yang Yujun has expressed his country’s opposition to such drills in the region.

“We sternly oppose Japan wooing extraterritorial nations for joint military drills that only increase regional tensions,” Yujun said.

The drill came amid growing tension over the East China Sea islands, known as the Senkaku in Japanese and the Diaoyu in Chinese, which are claimed by China, Japan and Taiwan.

Japan and China have long been in a dispute over the sovereignty of the uninhabited islands, which are located near a crucial shipping lane and would give their owner exclusive oil, mineral and fishing rights in the surrounding waters.

Tensions heightened between Tokyo and Beijing after Japan signed a deal on September 11 to buy three of the islands from their private Japanese owner in line with plans to nationalize the archipelago.

The move angered the Chinese government and led to several anti-Japan demonstrations across China.

Beijing says the islands, also claimed by Taiwan, have been part of the Chinese sacred territory since ancient times.

In October, China pledged to take action against Japan in case of “incidents” in the waters around the islands.

Chinese Deputy Foreign Minister Zhang Zhijun has said, “We are watching very closely what action Japan might take regarding the Diaoyu islands and their adjacent waters. The action that Japan might take will shape China’s countermeasures.”