Japan & US set up new cell to analyse Chinese military activities in East China Sea

Washington and Tokyo have set up a new team called US-Japan Bilateral Intelligence Analysis Cell to analyse information about Chinese military activities in the east China sea. The US and Japan will be relying on their military assets to collect the information that will be then analysed in Yokota Air Base, which is located in the suburbs of Japan. The military assets that will be used to collect information include US military's MQ-9 Reaper reconnaissance drones, according to a report from Mainichi, a Japanese newspaper. 

The MQ-9 Reaper reconnaissance drones are operating out of the Kanoya air base, which is located in the southwestern prefecture of Kagoshima. They were deployed in November. According to the Mainichi report, America's MQ-9 deployment reflects Washington's desire to increase surveillance near the Nansei island chain. The Nansei island chain includes the Senkaku islands, which is a source of tension between Japan and China. 

The goal of the new cell

The main goal of the US-Japan Bilateral Intelligence Analysis Cell is to ensure the US and Japan have accurate information about China's activities in the East China sea. The team will be made up of 30 American and Japanese personnel, according to Japan's defence ministry. The commander of US troops in Japan, Lt. Gen. Ricky Rupp said that the new team will ensure "strategic readiness by enhancing mutual threat understanding", as per the Mainichi report. Vice chief of the Japanese ministry's Joint Staff Lt. Gen. Yasuhiko Suzuki said that the new team will help in deterring provocative actions in the region. 

Geopolitical conflict in East China Sea

The East China sea is a site of ongoing geopolitical conflicts due to competing territorial claims and the presence of valuable natural resources, such as oil and gas reserves. One major source of conflict in the East China Sea is the disputed sovereignty over the Senkaku Islands, which are a group of small, uninhabited islands that are claimed by both China and Japan. The islands are located in a strategically important location near key shipping lanes, and both countries have a long history of territorial claims over them. 

In 2010, China began patrolling the waters around the disputed Senkaku Islands. In 2012, China established an Air Defense Identification Zone (ADIZ) over the East China Sea, requiring all aircraft entering the zone to report their flight plans to Chinese authorities. This move was widely criticized by the United States and Japan, and led to an increase in tensions in the region. In 2014, China began drilling for oil and gas in the waters around the disputed islands, leading to protests from Japan and the United States. In 2018, China deployed a large number of vessels, including coast guard ships and military ships, to the waters around the disputed islands. The US and Japan hope that the new cell will give them enough information to ensure they are not caught by surprise if and when China carries out more aggressive action.