Japanese Defense Minister Warns of China's Illegal Behavior in the East Sea
“Anyone trying to change the status quo by force will be forced to pay a heavy price,” Minister Taro Kono said.
In an interview with CNN yesterday (August 7), Japanese Defense Minister Taro Kono said that China's efforts to change the status quo in the East Sea will face a strong reaction from the international community.
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| Japanese Defense Minister Taro Kono. Photo: Reuters. |
“Anyone trying to change the status quo by force will be forced to pay a heavy price,” Mr. Taro Kono said.
According to this official, Beijing’s efforts to reclaim and transform coral reefs and rocks into artificial islands stretching hundreds of kilometers in the East Sea do not help to strengthen or maintain the international order. Mr. Taro Kono emphasized that China’s installation of missiles, deployment of fighter jets or bombers on some of the newly illegally built islands is “destabilizing”.
“An open and free maritime order in the South China Sea is as important as anywhere else in the world, and any move there will cause concern to the international community,” Minister Taro Kono affirmed.
Karo is the latest in a series of officials from US allies to condemn China’s illegal actions in the South China Sea. In late July, US Defense Secretary Mark Esper called on US allies and partners to step up pressure on Beijing. Esper said that China’s actions in the South China Sea showed “disregard for international commitments”.
“China has been engaging in this type of behavior for years,” Esper said in a virtual speech to the British-based International Institute for Strategic Studies. “But now their true intentions are being exposed in the clearest way.”
