The commander of U.S. Forces Japan vowed to help ally Japan deal with incursions by Chinese vessels in the East China Sea, accusing Beijing of a maritime intimidation campaign against countries in the region.
Lt. Gen. Kevin Schneider told a news briefing Wednesday that pressure could soon mount for Japan and its sole military ally, the U.S., with the end of a Chinese seasonal fishing ban in the middle of August. That could see the arrival of a contingent of trawlers, supported by coastguard and People’s Liberation Army naval ships in the waters around the islands, which are located close to Taiwan.
"The United States is 100 percent, absolutely steadfast in its commitment to help the government of Japan with the situation in the Senkakus,” Schneider told reporters in a video briefing. He used the Japanese term for the group of disputed islands that are called Diaoyu in China. "That is 365 days a year, 24 hours a day, seven days a week.”