Well this is provocative:
FOX NEWS – Three Chinese warships sailed near the contested Senkaku Islands Monday, in a rare move apparently sending a message to the U.S. just two days after President Trump’s defense secretary visited Japan and vowed to defend the islands.
The ships sailed within Japan’s territorial waters some 12 nautical miles off the islands in the East China Sea, roughly 140 miles northeast of Taiwan, a U.S. defense official told Fox News.
On his first overseas trip as defense secretary, Jim Mattis, speaking in Tokyo, said China “has shredded the trust” of countries in the region by building up man-made islands in the South China Sea. He also said the U.S. commitment to protect Japanese territory applied to its islands in the East China Sea.
Mattis later called for all regional disputes over territory to be handled peacefully during a press conference alongside his Japanese counterpart, Minister of Defense Tomomi Inada.
The Chinese, who also lay claim to the Senkakus, call the uninhabited islands the Diaoyus.
Japan has laid claim to the islands since the late 19th-century. China has claimed the islands since the end of World War II.
Following Mattis’ pledge to defend the Senkakus, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Lu Kang said, “We urge the U.S. side to take a responsible attitude, stop making wrong remarks… and avoid making the issue more complicated and bringing instability to the regional situation.”
Obama has basically surrendered the South China Sea, which is responsible for over $5 trillion in commerce every year, to the Communist Chinese and done nothing about their belligerent actions there. The Chinese even claim sovereignty over the airspace.
Trump, however, is taking a different position than Obama, sending Mattis to Japan to let them know we’ve got their back, and that includes the islands as well.
China is already unhappy with Trump’s call to Taiwan and his rhetoric about their country. Now they are trying to intimidate us with their warships.
It certainly looks like things are beginning to escalate.