Kojima, Yuji

News Article #5

Japan to deploy warships to South China Sea

MANILA, Philippines — The Japanese Maritime Self-Defense Force (MSDF) will dispatch three ships to
the South China Sea and the Indian Ocean, according to reports.
Helicopter carrier Kaga and two escort naval vessels of Japan will leave for the South China Sea on
August 26 and will be sailing until October 30, United Press International reported.
The Japanese fleet will first sail through the South China Sea, will pass through the Strait of Malacca and
then will proceed to the Indian Ocean.

The three ships will make port calls in India, Sri Lanka, Singapore, Indonesia and the Philippines,
according to a report from Japan Times.
Japan's Defense Ministry is also working on joint drills with the navies of these countries.

The deployment of the 814-foot-long Kaga is seen as a Tokyo's response to Beijing's military presence in
the South China Sea.
"The maritime area from the South China Sea to the Indian Ocean is important [for Japan]," MSDF chief
Adm. Yutaka Murakawa said in a press briefing Tuesday.
In 2017, Japan also deployed a similar fleet, including carrier Izumo, to the South China Sea and the
Indian Ocean.
Along with the United States, Japan has also been firm on its stand against China's militarization activities
in the disputed waters.
In a joint statement issued last April, Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Ane and US President Donald
Trump agreed that China and other claimant states should manage the maritime disputes in accordance
with international law.
"President Trump and Prime Minister Abe underscored a joint commitment to safeguard unimpeded
lawful commerce and respect for international law, including freedoms of navigation and overflight and
other lawful uses of the sea," the White House said in a statement. — Patricia Lourdes Viray

Reflection:

The deployment is necessary to show the Chinese that the western world is against the Chinese
illegal occupation of the Western Philippine Sea. We cannot do it ourselves because of the policies and
our inherent military weakness made possible by low budgets of our government. All countries in the
world can parade their warships in the West Philippine Sea, even they can have them moored in there for
a while, for all the care of the Philippines. If we just have the military power to fight against China we
would do exactly what united states and Japan are doing but sadly we are like ants when it comes to war
in China. So in my opinion Duterte move is just being playing safe because he knows that we cannot win
against China in our situation now.