Japan contemplating response over China's new coast guard law

Japan is contemplating a response to China's imposition of a new law that gives permission to its coast guard to open fire on any foreign vessel deemed a threat to its sovereignty. The controversial law that came into effect on February 1, allows the Chinese coast guard to open fire on foreign vessels sailing on waters claimed by Beijing. The law has raised an alarm in Tokyo because of the ongoing dispute between China and Japan over the Senkaku Islands, where Chinese and Japanese vessels regularly lock horns against each other. 

Read: China Law Empowers Coast Guard To Use Force Amid Disputes

The concern in Japan has increased in the recent past, particularly because of Article 9 of the Japanese constitution that prevents the country's Self-Defence Forces (SDF) from engaging in violent responses. The calls to amend the Article, and in some cases to entirely remove it, have grown lately, since increased Chinese military presence in the Senkaku islands. Both China and Japan claim the islands as their own, but tensions between Tokyo and Beijing have reached a new height in the past decade. 

Read: Japan Protests China's Two Coast Guard Ships Near Disputed Islands

'Must respect international law' 

According to the US Department of Defence, China has doubled its coast guard fleet in the last ten years, from about 60 in 2010 to more than 130 as of 2020. Earlier this month, Japan's Chief Cabinet Secretary Katsunobu Kato conveyed "strong concern" to China, saying Beijing must not use the new coast guard legislation in a way that goes against the international protocol established by the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS). 

Read: US Coast Guard Searching For 6 Boaters Off The Florida Coast

Japan is not the only country concerned with the new Chinese coast guard law. The move raises concerns for nations operating vessels in China-claimed waters, including Taiwan, Malaysia, the Philippines, and Vietnam.  The new law would also allow the Chinese coast guard to detain, and tow vessels. China says the law is meant to protect its marine resources, including the indigenous fishing industry.

Read: China Passes Law That Gives Coast Guard Free Hand To Open Fire On Foreign Vessels